Rain
by Mussimm
Summary: Temari's engaged, Suna's in trouble, the Konoha 12 are running to the rescue, and Shikamaru is caught in the middle. How does a man deal with his ally marrying the woman he loves? ShikaTema ShikamaruXTemari
1. The White Elephant

For TaintedMoonlight, for her honesty and inspiration. For SJT, for being the most vocal reviewer ever. For my husband, for putting up with me.

_--_

_He dreamed of rain. Every night, without fail, he dreamed a downpour that drenched the earth. A barren landscape stretched out in every direction, drinking in the torrent of water falling from the sky. It seemed like this was the first shower the land had ever seen._

_Shikamaru knelt, soaked to the bone, letting the water run down his face. He watched the raindrops forming rivulets in the sand, pushing it aside, making wild circular patterns in the ground. The sand was turning to slush, running together and being swept away. _

_Soon the ground was stripped down, and Shikamaru began to see the smallest blades of grass uncovered. In his first dreams there had been no grass, now it was becoming more frequent. Maybe in time this would become a green field. Maybe not._

"_Shikamaru-kun," a sultry voice called to him through the rain. He shouldn't have been able to hear her, but still could. He turned to see Temari, drenched as he was, water pouring down from her hair and streaming along her fan._

His eyes opened. The sun had long since risen, he guessed from the angle of the shadows, and bathed his room in a white light. He groaned and rolled over. The dream always ended when Temari showed up. Every time. A shame, since he could imagine worse things than a soaking wet desert princess. With another lazy groan he swung his legs onto the floor. He had to stop dreaming about her.

The role of pining after Sabaku no Temari, Shikamaru had decided many years earlier, was suited to a more motivated individual. A highly skilled ninja who could help her beat people into a pulp, someone refined enough to know all the aristocratic bullshit that surrounded her station, a man with a high tolerance for paperwork and a weird fetish for training. Maybe someone who didn't manage to shoot himself in the foot quite as often as Shikamaru himself did.

The shadow-nin grimaced. A perfect description of Hyuuga Neji.

He had thought about courting Temari. Her old clan, high station and volatile brothers completely ruled out the idea of just dating her. It would have been troublesome. The gifts, the arranged meetings, the family interaction. It would have taken up all of his cloud watching time. She was pretty enough, maybe even beautiful, definitely smart and impressive as hell with that fan. But not worth giving up cloud watching for.

With a sigh, Shikamaru sat down at his desk, pulling open the bottom drawer and pulling out a small package. He wanted an average wife, not too pretty or too plain. Definitely not a ninja. And _definitely_ not anyone scarier than his mother. He told himself that after every dream. His dreams were supposed to be a place for his average future wife, and average future family, and his clouds.

He withdrew from the package a hand fan emblazoned with the Nara clan symbol and beautifully painted deer. It had been his father's engagement present to his mother. It would have been the gift that started the process of courting Temari if the Hyuuga hadn't been that bit quicker. It wasn't often that he looked at it, her preferred to forget that it had ever existed. He could just go back to being her clumsy, boring escort.

Shikamaru knew that it was a bad idea to be looking at the fan, but his eyes traced the patterns painted in green, brown and gold. Looking at it always sparked a melancholy in him that he found difficult to shift. It reminded him of a time when he had been nervously prepared to ask her to see him as more than a friend. And today was not the day for such a thing.

Today he would be meeting the Sabaku no siblings to guide them for the first family meeting with the Hyuuga clan. Usually it would have been a meeting of the parents, but since she was an orphan her brothers were substituting. And since Neji himself was an orphan, Hyuuga Hiachi and his wife would be substituting. Hell, at least if Neji and Temari did get married they'd have a real family. He wouldn't begrudge either of them that.

Shikamaru pushed the fan back into the dusty bottom drawer. He had no place thinking about her like this. If the Hyuuga clan was the one she wanted to join, then that was her decision. If she wanted to run off to Amagakure and join their cult then he was in no position to stop her. Her happiness was the most important thing.

Temari and Neji were a perfect fit in almost every way. They were both powerful shinobi, who knew politics and aristocracy inside out, and any child of theirs would without a doubt be head branch material and possibly a kage one day. Shikamaru couldn't really put his finger on why the union irked him so much. Maybe it was just too perfect. Love was supposed to be blind but this match was as pretty as a picture.

But the most irksome thing of all was the sense of humiliation that came with thinking of her so constantly. He never told a soul, but still he felt the social stigma of pining for someone who would never offer him a second thought. It felt pathetic.

The daily rigmarole of preparation always wore on Shikamaru's nerves. Shower, shave, brush teeth, do hair, get dressed, breakfast. It took him a half hour to get ready and if time wasn't wearing on he would have gone back to bed for a while. But he had an appointment with the Kazekage, and it took a braver man than him to be late for that.

The walk through Konoha passed too quickly. The whole occasion had an air of formality before the princess had even reached the city gates. The meeting of two major clans was a big deal, no matter what the reason, but a potential engagement between them was massive. He wasn't playing the most important part in this, but in this situation a tiny hitch could seriously mar the event.

Shikamaru stopped at the thought. His mind played very briefly on the idea of simply turning around and going back to bed. He shook his head and kept walking. His chance with Temari was gone and it couldn't be regained through pettiness. Also, the only reason Gaara or Hiachi would accept for him not showing up would be his death. Anything else and that excuse could be used for every future event.

The gates of Konoha were a familiar sight to him. Every six months he would come here to greet her, then a month later to see her off. Now his visits here were more frequent with her visits both as an ambassador and suitor. Soon he would be replaced with a female escort, since an engaged noble couldn't be alone with a man who wasn't her fiance. The thought stung, but at this point his heart was too tired to feel the lances that it used to, now their eventual seperation just joined a long, dull ache in his chest.

He rested against the gates. Temari wouldn't have been on time. She would already be there and give him a superior smirk when he arrived late, or be half an hour late and offer a completely insincere apology for making him wait. Not Gaara, though. He would have the trip planned down to the minute. So arriving one minute early, Shikamaru felt no surprise at seeing three figures walking towards the village.

Gaara walked between his two siblings, eyes unblinking, trained on Shikamaru. The shadow-nin had never really forgotten the man's blood curdling death threat from many years ago in Rock Lee's hospital room. The Kazekage gave him chills, but he respected his dedication to Sunagakure. He had simply accepted that the redhead was the kind of man that you could entrust your life to, but wouldn't invite out for a beer.

Kankurou, on the other hand, was someone who had grown on Shikamaru enormously. They had also started out on fairly wary terms, Shikamaru couldn't appreciate his cruel streak, and Kankurou was no fan of laziness. However, after word had spread that Hidan had been annihilated and Zabuzu's second heart taken out by a single chuunin, the puppeteer's honest admiration had eventually turned into a sound friendship in spite of their philosophical differences.

Shikamaru's eyes were drawn to Temari and he felt a small smile tug on his lips. She looked beautiful, as always. Her hair was a mess, days of wind and rain sending it wild, there were still traces of sand on her skin and through her clothing. A bunch of purple flowers were cradled in her arm, probably part of the afternoon's proceedings. She had an exotic, barbaric look about her that always pulled at his heartstrings, it was almost strange to hear her speak the same language as him.

She looked distracted, staring off into the distance even as they approached the gates. Her eyes had a faraway look in them, like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. He had become accustomed to that look ever since they had become close enough for her to let her guard down around him.

"Kazekage-sama, Temari-sama, Kankurou-san," Shikamaru inclined his head in greeting, receiving the same from the group.

"Where's my 'sama'?" Kankurou quizzed him. Shikamaru snickered.

He turned and led them toward the embassy. It wasn't necessary, more a formality to show respect, and Tsunade-sama was meticulous when it came to gestures of respect toward Suna. As their closest allies, a jounin escort for a ten block walk was the least to be expected. They filled in time with small talk, or at least, Kankurou did. Gaara rarely spoke without necessity and Temari was still far away, simply following her brothers.

Shikamaru appreciated any chance to catch up with his friends, but wished it was for a different occasion. He was ushered into the embassy along with the Suna-nin, a gesture of familiarity that he hadn't been comfortable with at first, but it had become natural with time. The group didn't have a lot of time to get ready for the meeting, but he knew full well that his friend would take the fifteen seconds to throw on formal hakama and consider himself ready.

As expected, Kankurou led him out to the balcony while Gaara and Temari confined themselves to their rooms, getting ready. The puppeteer sat at a small tea table where a bottle of sake and bowls were laid out. He immediately poured two servings, offering one to Shikamaru as he sat down.

"It's good to be back in Konoha."

Shikamaru downed the alcohol. He couldn't think of anything he wanted more right then. Taking Temari to a courting arrangement was definitely cause for heavy drinking. "You haven't met the Hyuuga clan yet, have you?"

"Haven't even seen this Neji guy since our first chuunin exams." Kankurou shook his head, looking down over the city. He seemed pensive for a moment. "What do you think of him?"

"Neji?" The question caught Shikamaru by surprise. "He's alright. A good fit for Temari."

"Good," Kankurou nodded, his thoughts seeming to grow deeper still. "You've known Temari for a while now, you probably know her best out of the people in Konoha."

His tone of voice suggested that he had just offered a great compliment and Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. The older man looked like he was preparing to ask a serious question. "You have something on your mind."

"This whole thing," he answered after a pause. "It seems kinda stupid, I know. Temari doesn't even have much of a clan, and this Hyuuga kid doesn't have parents either. But we're not doing it for us, we're doing it for her."

The shadow-nin looked out over the city, not wanting to be part of this conversation. It was only his need to keep his feelings a secret that forced him not to excuse himself from escort duty altogether. If Temari had to marry Neji, he didn't want to be a part of it.

Kankurou continued. "She never had a mother, you know? To teach her women's things. Our nanny was Baki-sensei. If Gaara didn't make her go through all this, she'd probably fling herself into something headfirst and get herself hurt."

"I... uh..." He didn't know how to answer. Thinking of Temari from a protective brother standpoint had never been his strong suit. In his opinion, if the guy was him she should rush headfirst, if it was anyone else she shouldn't even be looking. "It's good that you look after her."

"I actually thought you'd give her a shot," the puppeteer said with a sneering laugh. "Shows what I know."

Shikamaru downed another shot of sake. This whole conversation had taken a turn for the decidedly uncomfortable. Was Kankurou saying that he'd have the family's blessing to pursue her? The thought made him mentally kick himself for his hesitation even more. His thoughts flew back to the fan in his drawer. It could have been the start of something.

"I woulda liked it," the older man mused. "But you haven't, and you think the Hyuuga is okay. So I gotta ask you something. I know you're young, but you're the only one in this village who knows both of our families. If the marriage gets approved, Gaara wants you to act as Nakodo."

The shadow-nin choked on his sake. "Nakodo? But that should be..."

"And Temari should have her parents here and bride and groom should probably have never made any attempt to kill each other in the past. We can't do this the traditional way, and you're as close to our family as anyone." Kankurou paused, sipping his sake. "It would mean a lot to Temari. To have you there."

Of course, only immediate family and the Nakodo were allowed to attend a noble's wedding. Only the families and he would be there for the many steps of courtship. The Nakodo, the go between. He would be the one negotiating Temari's marriage. He was sure that this was some kind of cruel joke. Gaara couldn't ask this of him, he couldn't accept it, he wasn't that much of a masochist.

But then, to reject this offer would insult the Kazekage and hurt Temari. Dammit, why did the whole world seem to be laughing at his infatuation?

"How troublesome," he muttered. He'd have to be a sucker to agree to this, just because it was what Temari wanted. He'd have to spend the next six months making sure that Neji and Temari's marriage was blessed with as much good luck as possible and convincing the respective families that it was a good idea to cave in to each others' demands. Not only would it be an enormous amount of work, but only a complete pushover would actually arrange the wedding of the object of their own affection.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to agree but was stopped by the look on Kankurou's face. The puppeteer was looking over his shoulder in shock. Shikamaru followed his awed gaze and felt his heart stop.

Temari stood in the doorway, dressed in a midnight blue junihitoe. She had chosen a five layered version, which fell over her curves in a figure of absolute nobility. Her hair had been pulled up in a formal knot which made her neck seem long and delicate. Shikamaru almost laughed, she still had her tessen on her back.

He had always known that a kind of rugged tomboy sexiness was in her repetoire, but feminine beauty was something he rarely saw. Gaara stood beside her in his Kazekage robes, the tiniest of smiles on his lips. Kankurou practically glowed with pride.

"What do you think?" Temari asked, looking directly at Shikamaru. His mouth was too dry to speak.

_I think that I can't do this._

"You look beautiful," he grumbled, amazed that his tongue was obeying him.

"Just tell me you're not the type that cries at weddings." Her sly smirk was hidden behind a hand fan that bore the Hyuuga clan symbol.

_I'm not going to be at your wedding._

"I'll cry for Neji, he's the one who has to live with you."

Temari merely peered at him over her fan, a cheeky look playing in her eyes. She looked so damn beautiful. Damn Hyuuga bastard with his good looks and good family. He didn't deserve her.

He knew that Temari would hate his sexism, but he felt that a woman should have a husband stronger than her, better looking and higher stationed. Someone she could depend on in every way if she ever wanted to. At that moment he couldn't imagine a man good enough for Temari. He didn't think the person existed who could outshine her.

"Nara's agreed to be your Nakodo," Kankurou said with a grin.

Nara's eyes widened. He did? When? "I never actually-"

"C'mon, you need some clothes to wear to the meeting. My stuff should fit you."

Shikamaru was hauled off his feet despite his objections. Kankurou managed to stuff him into slightly baggy clothing, yanking his hair down and leaving the shadow-nin feeling slightly violated. Wasn't this day bad enough already? He could have sworn that he heard Temari laughing outside the door.

Kankurou's unfairly well groomed appearance after days on the road and two minute's preparation made Shikamaru feel completely unprepared. The guy looked like he had just stepped out of a day spa. This was all going way too fast. He was about to walk into the Hyuuga household as the Sabaku no Nakodo, which had not been on his schedule for the day.

Temari's eyes widened appreciatively as he stepped out of the door. The look on her face made his palms start sweating. He blushed and looked away.

"You don't brush up half bad, Shikamaru-kun." He could tell that she was using the fan to hide a smile. He coudln't help a dorky smile spreading on his face as well.

The thing that struck him the most was how comfortable she looked in that dress. They all looked comfortable in their formal, restricting, overdone clothing. Like they wore it out every other day. For ninja they didn't seem to have a problem with not being able to move. While Shikamaru felt like he'd been attacked by a seamstress with a grudge.

At least he'd be walking with people who knew how to wear this stuff. Maybe he wouldn't be seen by too many people who knew him. Thankfully, Neji wasn't the gossiping kind.

Gaara nodded to Shikamaru, indicating that they should leave. He led the way with Kankurou as the brother and sister linked arms. The siblings looked perfect, the three children of the Yondaime Kazekage, raised as aristocracy and as shinobi. The perfect image that he just didn't seem to fit with.

This wasn't a side of the siblings that he saw often. It was the kind of thing that he hadn't seen until the first time Kankurou had invited him to the Kazekage's home. He had, in a half-drunken stupor, seen Temari and Gaara coming home from a diplomatic event. He had thought at first that it was a drink induced hallucination, but soon Temari had changed into casual clothing and crashed their little party, telling tired anecdotes about the event as if she'd just come from a long day of work. Because thats what it was: work. To any outsider it might have looked like a party, a meeting of rich friends, but really it was just another workplace with fancier clothing.

People on the street stopped to stare at the procession, headed for the Hyuuga compound. Of course gossip had spread. Older couples twittered excitedly to each other excitedly. Temari in a court dress was reason enough to stare, for multiple reasons, Shikamaru conceded. Temari in a court dress arm in arm with the Kazekage walking to her engagement would have made him stare if he wasn't walking with her. And it worked in his favour, everyone was too busy looking at them to look at him.

The Hyuuga compound wasn't far away. It loomed over the city, an elegant monolith, easily identifiable from a distance. The walls obscured the gardens, but the bulk of the manor was too tall to hide. Shikamaru's chest grew tighter with every step toward the building, where Hyuuga Hiachi stood, a woman on either side of him.

Another few steps revealed the taller of the two women to be Shizune. The first twinge of fear hit him. Shizune wasn't involved with this event. Something was wrong. She wasn't even carrying Tonton. Shikamaru exchanged a look with Kankurou.

As they approached, Shizune stepped forward holding out a scroll. "Kazekage-sama, I'm sorry to interrupt this occasion, but we've received news from Suna."

Gaara took the scroll and opened it with his brother and sister reading over his shoulder. The three stood in silence for a moment, reading. Shock blanched the faces of the older two, while Gaara frowned deeply.

"Hiachi-san," the Kazekage started. "Our apologies, but Suna..."

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a rustle of cloth and a metallic clank. Shikamaru whirled around to see Temari's obi and outer robe discarded on the ground, while their owner had mounted her fan and was already flying homewards.


	2. The Ring of Fire

_He dreamed of rain. The sky wept, but held no sense of fascination. Shikamaru knelt again, as he always did, but closed his eyes, letting the rain pour off him. He didn't search the sand for grass, didn't watch the whirlpools of running sand around him. The rain pounded his body, chilling him to the bone._

_She'd be there soon. _

_The soggy sand made his legs itch, but he didn't want to move. The shock of the day before had worn off late at night, and he had finally fallen asleep with a sharp pain in his chest. Now he just wanted to hear her voice. Why wasn't she there yet?_

_Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked down at the sand. The grass was there again, even denser than before. More interesting was a strange white flower that had grown. _

"_Temari?" he stood up, looking around for her. No one else was in sight. "Temari?"_

His eyes opened.

With a sigh he closed them again, rolling over and trying to get back to sleep. He fluffed his pillow in a vain attempt to regain comfort, but it was becoming clear that sleep wasn't on the menu this morning. Instead he rolled onto his back with a disgruntled groan and stared at the ceiling.

Shikamaru weakly thought about getting up and moving, shower and shave, clothing, breakfast. It didn't seem like anything more than a passing notion, though. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He wanted someone to talk to, but knew that it would be giving in to self pity.

_Get out of bed._ His legs grudgingly followed his command, forcing him upwards. He didn't have the time for shit like this. He would have liked to lie in bed and sulk that the woman he was in love with was marrying someone else, but in reality he had more important things to think about. Classes, missions, friends, housework, paperwork, he had a life.

It took a little more effort than usual to get himself into the shower, pushing the temperature up to scalding so that it didn't remind him of the feeling of cold rain. He went through the motions of cleaning himself, still focussed on the pain in his chest. The term 'heartbreak' didn't sound right. It implied that the heart was fragile, and at a strong enough blow would crack neatly down the middle. His heart had taken enough punishment to say it wans't fragile, and her almost engagement didn't feel like it had produced a nice clean break. It felt more like a rot that had eaten away at him, and a few more days of this treatment would leave it to simply fall apart, no longer substantive enough to hold together.

He never should have looked at that fan.

That stupid fan had caused all this trouble, he decided as he pulled on his clothes. It always put him in a sulk. Temari wasnt right for him, he wasnt right for her, it was something he had accepted. Yet he somehow always allowed the rot in his chest to return, by looking at that godforsaken fan.

With a grimace he pulled the package from the drawer and stuffed it in his pocket. He would return it to his mother before classes. The stupid thing needed to be out of his life until it no longer reminded him of _her_. That fan's owner would be his wife, and he needed time to get over Temari before it was of any use to him.

He found himself with no appetite for breakfast, he needed to leave early to visit his mother before class anyway. It would be hard to avoid the thousand questions that would no doubt come with returning the gift, but if he handled it smoothly enough and claimed he was late for class he might pull it off. Even if he had to answer every question it would be worth it to get rid of his white elephant.

A long sigh escaped his lips. This was such a pain.

When he had moved out his mother had insisted that he didn't move too far from the Nara grounds. His smaller house was still surrounded by forest, although it was away from the deer grazing grounds. The path to the main house wasn't on the main streets, but through the grassy field where he often lay to cloud watch.

He knocked on his mother's door. His father was out of town on a mission, which was unfortunate, since he felt more and more that he could use the old man, if nothing else then for a game of , sometimes his mother could be comforting.

Yoshino opened the door, her petite frame dwarfed by her son. The brunette smiled, opening the door with a greeting. Shikamaru felt the sudden need to hug his mother, the most troublesome of women, who would always open the door for him.

"You're as thin as a rake, Shikamaru," she scolded with a smile. "You haven't been eating properly, have you? Have you eaten breakfast?"

At the weak shake of his head, she bustled him into the kitchen where her own breakfast had just been served. She scooped out another bowl of rice porridge and set it down in front of him. The smell of fish sauce reached his nose and his appetite returned somewhat.

"Mom, I need to give back your fan," he mumbled, taking a small bite of the warm food in front of him. He couldn't meet her eyes as he said it.

To his surprise, the questions didn't come in a barrage, instead his mother took a thoughtful bite of her porridge and looked at him with sympathy. "It didn't work out with the Suna girl?"

His head shot up, staring at his mother. How did she know? He had never mentioned Temari as anything but a friend. Sure, they had met once or twice while he was her escort, but there was no way she could have gleaned so much from the brief meetings. Damn, this was troublesome.

"How did you know it was her?"

"A mother knows these things," Yoshino said with a mysterious smile. Shikamaru shook his head, frowning. He could accept that she had a psychic sense that told her when he was in love, but why was she being so nice to him about it?

"Will you take it back until I need it again?"

"Don't do anything rash, Shika," his mother replied, a stern tone in her voice. "Take twenty-four hours and think about it. Return the fan to me tomorrow."

"She's going to be engaged to Hyuuga Neji," Shikamaru complained, wishing that she'd just take the damn thing. "That's not going to change in twenty-four hours."

"A lot of things can change in twenty-four hours." Her voice was still kind, but he could tell that her patience was thinning. "No one can be engaged to be engaged. And if nothing has changed then you can return it to me tomorrow morning."

An attempt to argue was cut off by a knock at the door. He had no chance to protest before Yoshino was on her feet. Apparently energy skipped a generation. The solitude gave him the chance to scarf down his food greedily, his appetite completely returned. It was so good to eat food that wasn't instant.

"May I help you?" Yoshino's voice carried to the kitchen.

"I'm l...looking for Nara Shikamaru, ma'am." The voice was young, probably a genin messenger. Shikamaru dragged himself to his feet before his mother could yell for him.

His suspicions were confirmed, a white-faced genin stood at the door, carrying a scroll with the Hokage's seal. The kid looked like he'd come from an accident scene, he was about to faint. In fact, the kid looked too young for a genin, he was an academy student. If Tsunade was sending out students then he wasn't the only one getting this message.

"What is it?" he asked, a sudden sense of urgency filling him.

"Suna..." the kid breathed, handing him the scroll. As Shikamaru read, the student continued. "Suna's been hit by a sandstorm, decimated. Half the village is gone and they've requested aid. Hokage-sama is dispatching every available hand in two days time when the storm has died down enough to travel safely."

The panic washed through his chest. Sunagakure couldn't have been destroyed. It couldn't be true. This couldn't be happening.

Two days? Tsunade had lost her mind. Sure, getting there safely was important, but they didn't have two days to waste. The village wouldn't even have Gaara back yet. The message they received the day before must have told them that the storm was approaching.

Shikamaru grabbed a pen from the table in the hall, scribbling a reply onto the scroll: _See you when you get there._ He handed it back to the student. "Tell Tsunade-baachan that she had to expect this."

The kid gazed up at him in awe of his audacity, but he wasn't looking. He offered a kiss on the cheek to his mother before pushing his way out of the door. There was no way he was waiting two days, their allies deserved better than that. There was no casualty report. Gaara and Kankurou would be overwhelmed, if they were still alive. Temari could be in trouble.

At the first chance Shikamaru leapt onto the rooftops, avoiding the foot traffic and racing toward the gates. As he ran he became aware that he wan't the only figure on this path. At least three others were on their way to Suna.

It turned out that more than three were on their way, as he hit the ground at the gates he stopped. Ino and Sakura stood swapping medical supplies, packing large bags full of herbs and books, arguing over the most important items. Chouji was already there, apparently waiting for Shikamaru. Hinata and Shino joined Kiba on Akamaru's back, riding the dog like a horse. Naruto and Sai dropped from the rooftops behind him, as did Tenten, who quickly joined Lee. Shikamaru looked around in mild amazement. The whole gang back together again.

A mildly bitter feeling filled his chest as Neji joined his team, not even glancing in the shadow-nin's direction. He was going after Temari as well.

"Let's go, dattebayo," Naruto's growl came from behind them, where he had chosen to disrupt the everyday pedestrian traffic instead of taking the rooftops.

The Konoha 12 turned to him, faces set in silent agreement.

Without hesitation the group took off, chakra infused speed shooting them away from Konoha so that the village was out of sight in minutes. None of them spoke, their vicious protection of their allies was never talked about. The combined anxiety and silence washed over the group with an infectious feeling of determination.

The walk to Suna was three days. Travelling by fan Temari would have already arrived there. Urged on by sand Gaara and Kankurou would be nearing the city. Powered by chakra and purpose, the Konoha 12 might make it in 36 hours, 48 if they couldn't keep the pace.

That didn't seem to be an option, though. Between Naruto and Lee any dulled enthusiasm was quickly corrected, which Shikamaru was grateful for. Although he had resolved to get over Temari he felt that this counted as a mitigating circumstance. He'd have plenty of time to get over her when he knew she was safe. The rest of his team mates would probably know that something was up since he had been in front of the group the entire way, but he didn't care.

The run felt eternal, like some tormenting dream where the faster he ran the further away his objective was. The trees were just one green blur, no distinguishing landmarks or anything to say how long they had been running. There was no conversation, they stopped for a break only when absolutely necessary, the shadows gradually grew longer.

Shikamaru was sure that they should have stopped for sleep. Suna's hospitals were already probably overflowing without 12 more victims of chakra exhaustion. Those members of the group with low chakra were already feeling it. Hinata's gait was stumbling, as was Shino's. Ino didn't look far behind.

At the inescapable nagging of Naruto and Lee they started taking turns piggybacking each other, sacrificing a little dignity for the sake of keeping their speed. Shikamaru carried Ino until he could barely stand, then was in turn carried by Chouji. None of the group had started to suffer from real exhaustion yet. But the draining of chakra soon became the least of their problems.

At sunrise a brand new problem presented itself. The trees had given in to sand, the grass to spikey shrubs and the clouds to endless blank sky. Suna itself wasn't that far from the edge of the desert, but it was becoming very clear that the sandstorm had not yet dissipated. The howling winds tossed tsunamis of sand across the dunes, uprooting skeletal trees and causing painful havock.

The Konoha 12 stopped at the edge of the storm, their hair already being tossed in the wind. Naruto stared at the storm, looking almost scared, but more angry, as though he bore the tempest ill will. The others looked at it as if it were the mote around a castle. Impenetrable, suicide to even attempt a crossing. The group looked at each other, silently questioning for a solution.

Shikamaru knelt, his hands forming a square. There had to be a way. There was a solution to every problem. He couldn't be stopped like this, not when Temari needed help. The wind was a serious setback, but he could overcome it, together they could overcome.

They were just too light, a misstep and the wind would simply whip them away, throw them into the air, cause any amount of damage. If they kept one foot on the ground then they stood a chance, but even then a particularly strong gust would be disastrous and he couldn't guarantee his shadow sewing was fast enough to save someone. Dammit, they were just too light!

Shikamaru let out a huff, dashing the sand at his feet with his hand. To give them even a shot at safety they'd need to be as heavy as... a... rock...

"Lee-san," he broke the silence. "Are you still wearing your weights?"

"Always, Shikamaru-san," Lee said with a solemn nod, his usually overzealous attitude dulled mildly by their obstacle.

"Can you carry more weight?" He realised how stupid the question was when the green clad ninja hoisted a nearby boulder over his head with a grin. Shikamaru nodded. "Everyone, we need rope, whatever you have with you, thonging, obi, anything that you can tie."

The 12 did as directed without further question, a slight buzz of excitement rippling through them. Each pulled long strands of rope from their pouches, Ino pulled out her hair ribbon, Sai painted long coils of bindings. The shadow-nin felt a surge of triumph. This was going to work.

He explained the plan and they set to work, ropes exchanged between people and tied among chatter and strategy. Soon they were all bound in a circle around Rock Lee, each with a rope leading from their waist to his. Everyone was loaded down with as many rocks as they could carry while maintaining mobility, but Lee was the central point, no wind could pluck his epic weight from the ground.

"One foot in front of the other, everyone," Shikamaru drawled. "Always have one foot on the ground."

The two Hyuugas led the way, their byakugan the only visibility available. The circle moved forward at an achingly slow speed, unable to break formation, unable to move past walking speed and even then weighed down. Wind and sand pelted them, turning their skin red and raw, and making it impossible to communicate.

Ino, Sai and Sakura were painfully light, even at full weight, and were each in turn swept up in strong gusts. When this happened the whole circle had to stop, Rock Lee jarringly yanked in the direction of the wayward body. Shikamaru would kneel and use his shadow sewing to pull them back to the ground, where he would hold them until the gust died down and they could move on.

The path was long, each step a struggle, but no one complained. Shikamaru couldn't stop thinking about Temari, who may have tried to fly through to Suna. If she had braved this wind she would have been swept away. He couldn't feel the sting of the sand, he needed to get there and see with his own eyes that she was okay.

His eyes would occasionally flick to Neji, who was no doubt sharing his thoughts. He knew that this was pathetic. If someone's rope snapped, including his own, they might never be seen again. He was trudging across an endless desert in a sandstorm for Temari while her fiance was the one she'd want to see. Neji was the one who had a right to be there.

Their bizarre caravan walked long into the night. If it weren't for the Hyuugas they would have been lost, and even with them it was precarious. Lee was red faced and sweating, on the verge of collapse, but they couldn't stop. To stop was to die. Sakura had lost consciousness when she was dashed against a rock by the wind and was strapped to Akamaru's body. Hinata had collapsed, her eyes filled with sand, and was now carried sobbing in Naruto's arms. Chouji was piggybacking Shino, whose bugs had become so enraged at the constant assault that they had started feasting on his chakra circulatory system.

Shikamaru was exhausted, his chakra gone from rescuing team mates, labouring under the weight of the rocks he carried. They seemed to get heavier with every step. He knew that he couldn't carry on much longer. He'd simply collapse.

Neji stopped at the front, indicating that he could see Suna. The others looked at each other in relief, but Shikamaru watched Neji's face. He wasn't relieved. The Hyuuga's already pale skin had gone a sickly shade of white, his eyes were fixed ahead, his head shaking slowly.

The next few minutes held baited breath, everyone straining to see the village. The cliffs that protected Suna became visible first, but that was all it took for them to see that the town was in terrible trouble. One side of the valley that lead to Suna had completely crumbled, burying part of the village. Looks were exchanged and through quiet agreement they quickened their pace, met with new energy.

The approach was silent. The wind didn't penetrate the valley, now covered in rubble, but no one spoke, nor did they walk any faster. Rock Lee set down the boulder, his legs falling out from under him. Ino raced to his side, shaking his unconscious body.

At the sudden relief from the wind Shikamaru felt his body weaken, no longer held upright by adrenaline. He staggered forward, climbing up the boulders that blocked off Sunagakure. He was vaguely aware that the rest of the group were also stumbling, many crawling on their knees.

Suna ANBU rose from behind the landslide, their faces a mix of disbelief and gratefulness. He tried to talk to them but his throat was too dry. They were talking to him, their mouths formed words but his brain was too tired to make sense of it.

"Temari," he choked out. "Is Temari okay?"

His eyelids suddenly felt like lead. He felt the rock stab at his knees when he fell, then his chest and belly. None of it mattered because the last thing his tortured brain registered before descending into blackness was one word from the ANBU.

"No."


	3. The Lost Princess

_He dreamed of rain._

_It felt even heavier than usual, like the sky had turned to water and was starting to fall. Shikamaru didn't look at the sand this time, he whirled around, scanning every plane of the world he was trapped in. She had to be there. She was always there. Why was she missing?_

"_Temari!" His voice was muted by the rain, carrying nowhere. The water stuck in his eyes no matter how he tried to shield them, filling his mouth as he tried to speak. "Temari!"_

_Rain was no matter to him. Temari was hurt. Maybe dead. She had to be there. He started running, the endless plains of sand running under his feet. He slipped in the muddy sand, falling and climbing to his feet, searching for her. Every direction looked the same, every direction was treacherous and indistinguishable._

_Something fluttered past his face and he caught it. The white flower from the night before. He stared at it, nestled in his palm despite the rain and wind. As he watched, miraculously, the flower caught fire. Ignoring the soaking torrent it burned into nothingness, disappearing as though it never existed._

_Shikamaru whipped around, eyes searching desperately. "Temari!"_

"Shika?"

Shikamaru's eyes opened blearily, Ino's voice piercing his dream. The light wasn't offensive as it usually was. He tried to take in his surroundings, still half asleep. The colour of sand filled his vision, every surface seeming to be made of the stuff. He shook his head, trying to sit up.

"Where..."

"We're underground," Ino's high pitched squeak informed him, making his head hurt. "The hospitals overflowed and they've set up beds down here."

That would explain all the sand. The air smelled stale and didn't sit right in his lungs, which wasn't any surprise. There was no circulation here. With a cough he pulled himself to his feet.

"How long have I been out?" And where's Temari?

"Seven hours," Ino nodded. "I healed most of your chakra exhaustion."

"Where's Kankurou?"

He was no princess, but Kankurou was the next best thing. He'd know everything that was going on without being as busy as Gaara. Shikamaru needed to find out what was happening, his brain was already racing with the possibilities. One question echoed inside his head: was Temari dead?

Ino gave him directions and he tried to emulate a leisurely pace, but his feet somewhat disagreed, pulling him into a jerky tunnels of the underground complex all looked the same, undecorated and held in place with creaking wooden beams. This was probably an evacuation point for civilians, like Konoha's catacombs behind the Hokage heads. He followed Ino's directions and found light at the end of the tunnel.

The hallway emerged into a grey dawn, it looked like the enterance was beneath the Kazekage's administration building. There were dozens of people milling around, carting stretchers, looking over blueprints, teams of people trying to reconstruct and rescue. Kankurou stood with a team of civilians, giving a long rant on food provisions for the village.

"Kankurou," Shikamaru approached him, disrupting him mid-rant. He dismissed the suppliers with a wave of his hand, apparently satisfied that he had made his point.

The puppeteer turned, a tired look in his eyes. "Shikamaru, I couldn't believe it when they said you were here. The guards told me how, I can't even imagine how you came up with that."

The man's gratitude was written clearly on his face. Walking in the village the devestation was clear. About half the buildings were still standing, the other half either missing walls or roofs of completely gone. Uncountable people were digging through the wreckage, rescuing survivors and retrieving dead. But there was only one thing on Shikamaru's mind.

"Where's Temari?"

The two men whirled around to see Hyuuga Neji emerging into the daylight, his face steeled. Kankurou's eyes hardened, his face dropping. "She was on the wind control team. They were dispatched to stop the storm, but none of them have reported back."

"She's out in the desert?" Shikamaru felt a chill creep down his spine. Temari was in that endless mass of sand. The Konoha 12 had barely made it through, but she wasn't moving, she was just out there, missing in action. Kankurou nodded, looking away. Shikamaru stiffened, the decision already made in his mind. "Which direction did she go in?"

The question was volatile. Neji was standing right beside him and it was just too much to ask about another man's fiancee. Violet eyes turned on him, piercing him. "You're thinking of going after her?"

"Someone has to," Shikamaru sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn't meet Neji's eyes. He'd done nothing wrong, but still there was guilt. It wasn't as if he was rushing out to save her in the hopes that she'd fall desperately in love with him. He'd save her for Neji to marry, if that's what she wanted. Just as long as she was alive to do it.

He couldn't accept that he'd seen her smile for the last time.

"Without Rock Lee it's suicide," Neji hissed.

"I can keep myself grounded." His shadow sewing would do the trick. He couldn't use it on all 12 but on himself would be alright.

"And how will you see in that storm?" The Hyuuga's eyes carried genuine anger now. Maybe frustration that he wasn't going, or that he hadn't been the first to volunteer.

"I'll find a way," Shikamaru frowned. Neji did have a good point. He wouldn't be able to see more than ten feet in any direction. Finding her would be virtually impossible, and even if he did manage to stumble on her, he wouldn't know how to return.

"I'm coming with you."

The two men faced off, staring each other down. Shikamaru felt his stomach clench at Neji's look. He knew, he knew that someone else was in love with Temari. Shikamaru had to wonder if he was only tagging along to protect his territory, but cursed himself for thinking that Neji wouldn't save her without provocation. Motivation was irrelevant, they needed the byakugan to see and the shadow sewing to stay grounded.

"Shikamaru," Kankurou pulled his attention away. The puppeteer clapped a hand on his shoulder, an earnest look in his eyes. "She went north. Thank you for doing this."

He watched his friend follow the suppliers to continue harrassing them, leaving him alone with Neji. He disliked the feeling of antipathy that was flowing naturally between them, Neji was his ally, they had fought side by side for many years. Women were such pains, that loving one could turn allies against each other.

Shikamaru sighed and started walking north. Neji followed without hesitation, keeping an easy, silent stride. But his huffing breath insinuated that he wasn't finished. The road north wasn't an easy one, so Shikamaru was spared the onset of the questioning while they picked their way through the village. Their path included a hospital which was so overfull that there were beds set up on the street and a crowd of patients waiting to be seen.

The devestation was unbelievable when witnessed, even the uninjured were on the streets, wandering aimlessly, comforting family, looks of disbelief and trauma on every face. What hadn't been torn apart by the wind was crushed under the landslide, which carried the sole benefit of providing a path to the north without having to climb the cliffs. The wind was howling above them, the sandstorm still within sight.

The walk up the rise was scrambling and uncertain, rocks constantly slipping out from under Shikamaru's feet. It became more like a crawl, the two men searching for hand and footholds wherever they could, sometimes slipping back a few feet, slowly gaining ground.

As they neared the top, Shikamaru readied his shadow sewing, but Neji's voice stopped him.

"Why are you going after Temari?"

"She's a friend," Shikamaru answered steadily, meeting the Hyuuga's eyes.

"I'm not stupid." Neji's ice cold demeanor was always a little offputing, but he was adding an extra effort for the occasion, which made a chill run down Shikamaru's spine. The blank white stare of those eyes made him feel that he'd be lucky to return from the desert.

"What do you want to hear?"

"You know that's she's mine," Neji said through gritted teeth, ignoring the question. "If you care about her you'll stay away."

"Whatever. I'm not trying to steal her, Neji." He didn't know what to really say. He knew where the man was coming from, he would have felt threatened, too, or at least irritated. His choice of words, though, grated on Shikamaru. Staying away from Temari wasn't for her good, she had no interest and the worst it could cause was an awkward rejection. Staying away from her was entirely for his benefit. Neji seemed to accept his statement for the time being and moved on, standing in preparation for their binding.

Shikamaru knelt again, molding chakra and focussing it into his shadow. Tendrils shot down into the sand, anchoring themselves before turning upwards to grasp the ankles of the two men. When he was sure that they were secure he stood, wading forwards in the sand. Movement was difficult, but not impossible and he had enough chakra to keep them bound for around two hours. Not brilliant, but maybe enough.

They stepped out into the treacherous sand. Shikamaru blinked, trying to see his way. It was impossible, his visibility was as little as ten feet to any side. Neji led the way confidently. The dunes stretched out in every direction, soon the village was lost in the storm. The desert seemed endless. With no sun and no landmarks it was impossible to tell which direction they headed in, but Shikamaru trusted Neji to lead him. This newfound rivalry had come with a degree of suspicion. If it was an outsider or even someone from another team there would have been the overwhelming questions about which of the men would first give out and leave the other stranded in the desert. Shikamaru felt lucky that he was part of the Konoha 12 now that his life was in Neji's hands and the man had every reason to bear him a grudge.

Progress was even slower than their journey into Suna. They weren't weighed down by rocks but the shadow sewing tried to drag their legs into the sand, making every step a struggle. They had an hour. He could hold this for two hours, which meant that if they walked more than an hour away from Suna they couldn't get back. He was silently cursing himself for not laying down a search pattern with Neji, now he was just blindly following the older man.

It gave him too much time to think. The wind was screaming around them, lashing them over and over with stinging grains of sand. He could almost see Temari's body being thrown by the gale, assaulted by the sand, if she had been caught out here since before he had even arrived in Suna she might not even be recognisable. The landscape was littered with boulders that could shatter the bones of a body hurled against them, and skeleton trees that could impale tender flesh given enough force. The dragging of feet became more urgent with the thoughts.

The village was long since out of sight, the barren earth stretching out before them. Shikamaru wanted to ask Neji where they were but the wind was just too loud. The effort seemed so hopeless. If she had passed out, which she certainly would have, she was probably buried in sand. The image in his mind caused his stomach to lurch, he tried not to gag. She could have been buried alive, suffocating to death, Neji's byakugan might find a pale corpse. Shikamaru's throat spasmed.

They walked for half an hour, Shikamaru couldn't tell how far they'd gone, every direction looked the same, he would have been lost without Neji. The shadow sewing was draining, but the slideshow in his head kept it strong. They weren't going back without Temari. He'd rather be chakra exhausted and swept away to join her.

After an eternity of wading through sand and shadow tendrils, Neji stopped short. Shikamaru instantly scanned the horizon, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing. Just a blank landscape. Neji's face told a different story. His eyes were piercing straight ahead, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips set. There was something up ahead.

Without a word the two men doubled their pace. Shikamaru allowed his shadow tendrils to slacken, offering up freer movement for less safety, and he didn't think Neji would object. They needed speed. The sand crumbled under their feet, making every step maddening. Speed wouldn't come. He felt for the second time that week that the world was making a mockery of his desperation. The harder he struggled against the sand, the tighter it gripped him.

The howl of wind, a constant stream of noise that rang in his ears, suddenly stopped. The echoing silence disoriented him, making him lose focus for just a split second. The blast of wind came from nowhere, stronger than before, throwing both men backwards. Shikamaru's shadow sewing slipped, leaving them in a freefall. The sand cushioned him, and he waited to be tossed against, but no more wind came. The air was completely still.

Shikamaru opened his eyes, his body tingling from the sudden cessation of the assault. What the hell was happening here? Neji struggled to his feet some distance away. The two men looked at each other, then Neji turned his byakugan to the source of their relief. An angry scream sounded through the still air and Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes. He stumbled back in awe.

Temari sailed through the air, her tessen spread. She was still wearing the lowest layers of her junihitoe, white silken streams following her in her flight. The tessen swung, a chakra-laced gale pushing back the sandstorm. Shikamaru threw his shadow sewing into the ground, barely anchoring himself before the wind hit. Neji was too far away and Shikamaru wasn't quick enough. It was vicious, much worse than the storm. Temari was an all new kind of tempest. Neji was thrown again, slammed into the ground.

Shikamaru didn't know who to help. Neji needed to be anchored, but he needed to get Temari down. She was amazing against the wind, the ebb and flow of her body perfectly deflecting every gust, creating an eye in the storm. But it was also obvious that she was fighting a losing battle. She was injured and exhausted. Her shoulder hunched as if she could barely hold her war fan, blood was running from her mouth, he could tell that the moment she stopped moving she would simply crumble. How long had she been out here?

"Temari!" he yelled. If she stopped he could anchor her and Neji at the same time. The princess's eyes turned to him, wide and wild. She was kneeling on her fan, flying towards a front before grasping the hilt and sending another blast against it. She screamed again, letting her anger and fear fly out against her attacker. Shikamaru's eyes were glued to her, he felt like he could barely breathe. No one else would have survived out here for so long, he had been a fool to think she was dead. His heart swelled to a constricting size in his chest as he watched the desert flower fight against an invincible enemy and win.

The distraction on Temari's face as she looked at him made him panic. He could see what was happening, but couldn't move fast enough to stop it. Her shoulders finally gave out and she was tossed off her fan into the wind.

The white robes were all he could see as her body was thrown high, tossed back and forth in currents like a ragdoll. Shikamaru could only watch as the pale figure was toyed with, seeming like she'd never come down. He reached with his shadow sewing, trying to get a hold of her, but he just wasn't quick enough. Her tessen was hurled carelessly into a sand dune, plowing in at the hilt, stuck in a foot of sand.

Shikamaru saw what was going to happen, a strangled cry was ripped from his throat as she was dashed against her tessen like a wall of steel. Her body hit with a sickening crack and she slumped, unmoving, leaving a trail of bright red blood as she slid to the ground. The white fan and white dress splayed out around her, like a strange white flower growing from the sand. Shikamaru's blood ran cold as he saw in his mind's eye the white flower from his dream burning to nothingness in his hand.

"Temari!"

Both men ran forward, not even thinking to anchor themselves, scrambling on hands and knees, trying to push through the sand. They reached her at the same time, and Shikamaru saw that she was still conscious. Her eyes were heavy, but open. She took a heaving breath, her body trembling with the difficulty. Shikamaru tried to stay back, letting Neji tend to her, but her delirious eyes caught his and he froze. It was as if Neji didn't even exist.

"Crybaby," Temari wheezed. "You came to rescue me."

"Temari." Neji leaned forward, seizing her by the elbows and forcing her gaze onto him. The woman looked at her fiance, eyes not focussing. Up close the extent of her damage was even more obvious. Sand was ingrained into her skin, oozing blood, her ankle was twisted oddly and horribly swollen, she had been put through a blender.

The Suna-nin's eye fluttered shut and her head slumped.


	4. The Tattered Dress

_He dreamed of rain._

_The sky was different, lightning rippling across the clouds, the sound of thunder echoed in his tortured mind. The sand fell away under heavy water, laying bare the solid ground underneath. Shikamaru's feet slipped and shifted as his footing changed. _

_His shoulders slumped as he looked at the ground, too tired to find his way out of this nightmare. It seemed like there would be no end to this. Was he going to be tormented like this forever? Would Temari ever show up again? He wanted to call out, but knew that he couldn't take the silence that was sure to answer._

_He dropped to his knees, as always. The grass beneath his hands was growing, he wiped away more and more sand, uncovering the greenery. Only it wasn't just grass this time. His fingers dug into the sand, pulling it away as he saw flowers. Tiny vines were growing, and beneath them larger leafy plants. The blossoming change struck him with urgency. _

_The sand was flung in wet clumps over his shoulder, eyes and hands searching, discovering a garden growing in the desert. This wasn't what he was looking for. Where was the white flower?_

_Shikamaru froze as his hands hit something solid. He gently wiped away the sand, trying to find shape in the object. His blood ran cold as his finger felt the bridge of her nose, traced along her jawline. No, no, this wasn't right. Temari's face was peaceful, buried in the sand, cold and pallid._

Shikamaru's eyes shot open. A wave of grogginess hit him, blurring the bright light around him. The hospital waiting room was almost empty. Most people had continued with their business after the first twelve hours of surgery, Shikamaru had instead fallen asleep in his chair. How long had he slept this time? He glanced at the clock, not even an hour.

It took a minute to realise what had woken him up. The punishing lack of sleep had affected his brain, so he didn't comprehend at first that Sakura was in the room. The pink haired nin looked beyond exhausted. Shikamaru rose to his feet. If Sakura was out here it meant that the surgery was finished.

Neji and Kankurou were more alert than him, and already at her side. She wasn't talking, instead just resting against the wall. The look on her face made Shikamaru's chest tighten. She wasn't looking confident, she looked like she was about to cry.

"Sakura," Kankurou coached in a surprisingly mild voice. "Tell us what happened."

"I... I..." The kunoichi covered her mouth, unable to continue. Silent sobs shook her body and tears streamed from her eyes. She stood prone for a heartstopping minute before coughing and regaining some of her composure. "I'm sorry. Temari's alive."

"Then why are you crying?" Kankurou almost yelled, then restrained himself, a look of frustration crossing his face. They'd all been out here for a long time, tempers were fraying.

"She was trapped out there for 48 hours." Sakura's voice was just a whisper. She turned to Neji. "We removed two pounds of sand from her skin. Repaired two broken vertebrae and managed to reconnect her spinal cord. We set one broken ankle, a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm, three broken ribs, seventeen hairline fractures including her skull. Several of her internal organs were bruised and both her spleen and stomach tore during surgery. She would have died if it had happened any other time. Her back may heal on its own, if it doesn't she will need extensive skin grafts. One of her kidneys was too far gone, we couldn't repair it. She has numerous infections that could interact in any number of ways. She's still dehydrated, we're pumping her full of saline but it will take days to get her fluid levels up. Her heart is shot and needs time to heal, undue stress could stop it. She has several torn muscles which we could only repair to some extent."

The three men had grown progressively paler as she spoke, the epic list of injuries seemed like it would go on forever. When Sakura finally stopped for breath Kankurou stared in disbelief. "Is that all?"

Sakura shook her head.

"She was out there for 48 hours," she repeated, grim faced. "She's going to be shell-shocked at best. When she wakes up, she's just not going to be the same person."

Not the same person?

"Go get some sleep, Sakura," Kankurou ordered, placing an awkward hand on the woman's shoulder. "Thank you for what you've done."

Sakura sighed heavily. "She's sleeping, she'll be out for a while. Take her back home, keep up her fluids, we can't do anything else."

The door to the operating room swung on its hinges as Neji entered, followed closely by Kankurou. Shikamaru wasn't sure if he should follow. It was a time and a place for family, and even if Kankurou considered him close enough, he wasn't sure that he wanted to see what lay behind the door. Medical ninja operated mostly without breaking the skin, but the surgery had been so intense that he still didn't know what physical effects it had on her.

In his mind's eye all he could see was that look in her eyes when she saw him in the desert. She had looked at him, not Neji. It was him that she'd been waiting for. The whole thing made his stomach churn. Where the hell did he stand?

Shikamaru took a deep breath and pushed through the door.

The light was dim, no windows in the underground chamber. Nurses were cleaning up all around the room, and Shikamaru felt sick as he saw the pile of bloodstained sand that had been removed from her skin. To his enormous relief, Temari looked a lot better than he had hoped. Her skin was clean and smooth again, one of the nurses had pulled her hair into its regular style. The wild, hunted look was gone from her face, peaceful in sleep.

Neji stroked her face gently, a faraway look in his eyes. Kankurou stood at her side, seemingly unsure of what to do. He didn't touch his sister, ever. Shikamaru understood the arrangement, he didn't touch her either. Neji was the only one in the room who wasn't out of his depth. Touching and caring weren't staples of the Hyuuga lifestyle, but moreso than that of a semi-estranged brother or socially inept admirer.

One of the nurses offered a wheelchair, which Neji lowered Temari into. Shikamaru smirked. If she was conscious she'd beat him into a pulp for even trying it. She'd hate to be weak like this. He'd never seen her so vulnerable.

The walk back to her home was too long, even through it was almost directly outside the enterance to the catacombs. Seeing her slumped in the chair was horrible, but what was worse was that the passersby all stopped to look, gawking at the fallen jounin. Temari would hate this. The Kazekage's residence had remained untouched by the storm, leaving them a safe place to keep Temari while she recovered. They were almost at the door when she moaned, without opening her eyes.

Neji stopped walking, instantly kneeling by her side. The sound had not been a pleasant one. Her face contorted, she let out a yell and her hands flew to her face, defending herself. With a glance around, the Hyuuga hurried to get her inside. She wasn't cooperating. The sand princess lashed out, screaming in her sleep.

"Get her the hell inside!" Kankurou snarled, forcing Neji's hand. He picked her up, bearing the brunt of her fit but dragging her into the manor. Shikamaru glanced behind him, sending wary looks at the people who were staring. He slammed the door shut on them. Temari didn't need anyone to see her like this.

The tantrum subsided slowly, Neji held her tight, whispering in her ear. Her eyes were still closed tightly. Shikamaru wanted to take her from him, be the one to calm her, but his hands stayed at his sides. The three men escorted her upstairs, taking it slow. She wasn't a sleepwalker, Shikamaru knew that. He'd slept in the guest rooms and never heard a peep from her, this was new, this was because of the storm. Was this what Sakura had meant?

Temari's body slumped once more, slackening against Neji's chest. He pushed open her door with his hip and settled her onto her bed. Her room was a wreck, littered with clothing. He glanced up at the Shikamaru and Kankurou. "I need to change her clothes. A little privacy?"

Both men stiffened. Shikamaru's chest tightened. Neji was going to undress Temari? Handle her naked? He exchanged a glance with Kankurou. Neji gave them both a mildly exasperated look. "I assume that you don't want her wearing the same dress she's been in for three days and... messed up."

Shikamaru turned and slowly walked away, his head bowed. This was for Temari's good. Kankurou would never do it and he had no right. Was this the first time Neji would see her naked? Had they...? Shikamaru shook his head, clearing the thoughts, he didn't need them. The image leapt into his brain unbidden, Neji and Temari. It disgusted him on a visceral level. He was violently jerked from the thought by a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're protective of her," Kankurou mused, a nervous grin on his face. "But the girl needs a change of clothes."

Shikamaru let out a _hmph_ of disapproval. "Convenient for Neji. Have those two...?"

"Don't know," the puppeteer shook his head, his smile was genuine this time. "Don't want to know. He doesn't seem like the type."

Yeah, Neji was a class act. Shikamaru frowned. He'd always thought that Kankurou and Gaara saw him as Temari's third brother. They often mistook jealousy for protectiveness and he wasn't in any hurry to correct them, still it grated. He never knew that he'd be so close to Suna's 'royalty', and he genuinely appreciated the friendship, but if he was ever going to be considered family, he didn't want it to be as Temari's brother. He wanted to be the one helping her when she was hurt, and bearing any wrath that came along with that duty.

The two ninja made their way to the kitchen, where Shikamaru sank down into a chair. It had all been too troublesome since he left Konoha. He was supposed to get here, see that she was alright, help rebuild a few building, go back home. Things never went to plan. Never with Temari. But she was fine now, or at least alive, it was time for him to go home and figure out how to get out of being her Nakodo.

"I can't stay here." He had meant to be more tactful, instead of just blurting it out, but the stres and lack of sleep had him dazed.

Kankurou looked at him in surprise. "You're not staying until she recovers?"

"Konoha needs me," he amended. "Every available ninja is on their way to Suna, we're shorthanded at the village."

The older man scowled in the same manner he used when Gaara overruled him, when he felt that logic was being trampled by bureaucracy. Or when he knew he was being lied to. "That's unfortunate. She would have appreciated you staying."

"She has Neji." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. Temari wanted him to stay. Damn, he was a sucker. Anything that girl asked of him he'd do. Hell, why not? He didn't have anything better to do than stick around and watch Neji nurse her back to health. "I guess I could..."

Shikamaru stopped. Temari hadn't asked him to stay. Kankurou had. In fact he'd been hearing him ask a lot of things on Temari's behalf. Just about anything he favoured was suddenly what she'd want. He stared at the grinning puppeteer.

"You were saying?"

"How long have you been doing that?"

"Dunno, how long have you been bending over backwards for my sister?" Kankurou's grin spread across his face, enhanced by the purple line around his mouth. It looked devilish. He was enjoying this far too much.

"She needs at least one guy to look out for her," Shikamaru huffed, hoping that Kankurou wasn't on to him. "You'd throw her to the wolves if I wasn't around. You've already thrown her to the Hyuugas."

The man laughed genuinely, his eyes waxing sentimental. "Too right. Never thought we'd be a family again after our mother died. Then our father died, Gaara lost his demon, you come along and now Temari's getting married."

Oh, troublesome. Just what he didn't want. Kankurou had basically called him a brother. What a pain. _Welcome to the family,_ he thought to himself, _you've just rendered yourself platonic forever. _At least Kankurou wasn't onto him. He hoped.

"Fine, I'll stay until she's recovered," he grumbled. "But no more of that trick."

Kankurou just chuckled, leaning over the bench. He tossed an apple between his hands, holding it aloft with chakra strings. Shikamaru was glad that he had managed to inadvertantly cheer his friend up in such a depressing time. Maybe this _was_ what it was like to have brothers.

"She's dressed." The cold voice from the doorway chilled the room. The Hyuuga stood before them, eyes fixed on Kankurou. "I'm going to talk to Ino about her post-surgery care. Can you start feeding her fluids?"

"Can you get it, Shikamaru?" Kankurou said through a mouthful of apple. "I need breakfast."

The puppeteer rustled around in the cupboards, carelessly tossing a bottle of orange juice to Shikamaru, who caught it against his chest. Neji's eyes were cold on him. He sighed, this was a pain. He should have gone to rescue her when Neji wasn't watching, now his cover was completely blown, he'd have to put up with this every second he was around the sand siblings.

With a final steely glare of warning the Hyuuga left the room. Shikamaru waited until he heard the front door click shut before heading upstairs. Kankurou was enjoying this, he was sure of it. A newfound power over an old friend was probably enough to make the puppeteer dizzy with joy. An escape to Temari's room was actually welcome. Shikamaru climbed the stairs, hesitating only a moment in front of her door, steeling his nerves to see her. The room was quiet, peaceful. He didn't know what he expected, but the calm of the room was somehow unnerving, like the air around a deathbed.

Temari looked beautiful, tan skin against white sheets. She always looked good in white. A slight blush crossed his face as he realised that Neji had left her naked, simply covering her with the sheets. Her bare shoulders looked so smooth, warm like the sun. Shikamaru sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, as far from her naked form as he could sit while still being able to reach her. The tiny shifts of her legs and hands in her sleep sent the cotton dancing lightly over long expanses of skin. He suddenly felt like he was overheating.

Shikamaru swallowed hard, he had a task to focus on. He pushed away the thoughts of how the sheets folded around her waist and breasts, showing him everything that he was missing. A shaking hand poured the juice into a spoon. His thumb parted her lips, his mind forcing him to concentrate only on hydrating her. Most of the juice trickled down her throat, but one drop spilled onto her lips, winding its way down her chin, her neck, then runing down between her breasts.

Shikamaru jerked away from the bed, his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes tightly. This was wrong, so very, very wrong. She was sick, half dead, it shouldn't inspire any of the thoughts that it did. He just wanted to scratch at his eyes to remove the filth that seemed to be habitating behind them. This was a nightmare that he just couldn't get out of, he'd give anything just to lay one kiss on those lips, but he couldn't.

Backing away, Shikamaru tried to come up with an excuse, any excuse, why he couldn't be the one spoon feeding her. She had a fit, the juice bottle broke, his hand broke, anything. While he eyed the door to her wardrobe, wondering if it was strong enough to break his hand, he started dragging her clothing into a pile. If he was going to shirk his duties, then he had better to something, at least. The clothing had been scattered about in a manner that suggested she had tried each dress on before discarding it in anger. He knew about the habit from Ino, how a woman who had somewhere to be would try on everything she owned as if she'd forgotten how she looked in it. He flung open the doors to what turned out to be a walk in wardrobe. Nothing less for a dignitary, he supposed.

The inside of the wardrobe had his mind instantly off the naked woman in the room. The bizarre spectacle he was treated to made him drop the clothes he was holding, all intentions to put them away forgotten. The back wall of the room held what at first glance appeared to be some kind of effigy, but when the full image registered, Shikamaru realised it was the top layer of a junihitoe. Nailed to the wall with kunai. Temari had apparently possessed such a hatred for the dress that the wall was cracked in several places where the kunai had been flung.

The truly interesting thing was the colours. Green, brown and gold. His clan colours. Even his brain was completely baffled by this. Sure, he knew that she wanted to kick his ass half the time, and wouldn't have been surprised to find a picture of himself pasted to a dartboard in her room with two dozen senbon sticking out of it. But a dress?

A groan from the bedroom jerked Shikamaru out of his amazed stupor. He rushed to the bedside, where Temari was arching under the sheets. Her face was screwed up on fear and pain. A strangled cry emanated from her throat. Whatever nightmare Shikamaru was in, he knew that hers was worse. She was trying to defend herself in her sleep. 48 hours of uninterrupted self defense, he knew that would be hard to let go of, he had no way of telling her that she was safe.

"Help." The word was whispered. It wasn't any kind of frantic scream, it was a resigned plea, as if she knew no one was coming for her. Tears suddenly welled on her eyelashes, spilling down her cheeks. Shikamaru stared. He had never seen her cry. Her body was racked with sobs as her arms flailed wildly, trying to save herself. He suddenly didn't care if it was his place or not. Wrapping the sheets carefully around her, he pulled Temari into his arms. She needed him.

"You're okay, you're home now," he murmured, feeling her body calm under his touch. The surprise of her arms flung around his shoulders made him jump, but then he settled into the sleeping embrace. It felt so right to hold her. He stroked her hair, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. There were still little whimpering sounds slipping past her lips, and her breathing was shuddering and difficult, but he knew that he'd averted a full fit. Her body was so warm in his arms. Shikamaru gently kissed her hair, words tumbling out of his mouth unbidden. "I love you."

The words instigated a great sigh of relaxation from her. Temari's body relaxed completely, her head lolling on his shoulder, back in peaceful sleep. Shikamaru smiled lightly, lying her back on the bed and straightening her sheets. He rubbed the back of his neck and stood up. Some uninterrupted sleep was what she needed more than orange juice, even he could see that.

When he reached the door he gazed back at her once more, drinking in her graceful beauty. As he stood there, he heard her speak once more, the words breathed through her lips.

"I love you, too, Neji-kun."


	5. The Broken Missive

_He dreamed of rain. Every night, without fail, he dreamed a downpour that drenched the earth. A barren landscape stretched out in every direction, drinking in the torrent of water falling from the sky. It seemed like this was the first shower the land had ever seen._

_Shikamaru knelt, soaked to the bone, letting the water run down his face. He watched the raindrops forming rivulets in the sand, pushing it aside, making wild circular patterns in the ground. The sand was turning to slush, running together and being swept away. _

_Soon the ground was stripped down, and Shikamaru saw the gardens that had grown and bloomed. The sand barely covered them anymore, soon they would begin growing over it, nourished by the rain._

"_Shikamaru-kun," a sultry voice called to him through the rain. He shouldn't have been able to hear her, but still could. He turned to see Temari, drenched as he was, water pouring down from her hair and streaming along her fan. Her white dress clung to her, leaving nothing to the imagination except the exact shade of sandy brown that her skin would be. His eyes toyed with her figure, blatantly staring. _

_Temari's actions echoed his thoughts, she stepped closer until his nose brushed her belly. He brushed his lips across the fabric of her dress, marvelling at the warmth she radiated, even in the freezing rain. One hand ran up her inner thigh, pulling her closer. Her skin was so smooth. Temari's hand grabbed his hair, letting him wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close._

_The rain hid his tears, but could do nothing to ease the stinging of his eyes or the constriction of his chest. He sobbed until his body ached, all the lust sapped from him by the sudden need to hold her. This was as good as he was ever going to get._

"_Temari," he sobbed into her belly._

The exhausted jounin opened his eyes, soberly drinking in the morning. He coughed dryly, his lungs still adjusting to the acrid air. His dream still clouded his eyes, forming a hollow cavity in his chest. A pathetic mannequin with Temari's skin that danced for him, that's all it ever was. Reality wasn't half so comforting.

Shikamaru rolled out of bed, not bothering to straighten his rumpled clothes. Their was no point wishing for a shower, the storm had destroyed the plumbing for the city. He knew all about it, he had been put in charge of emergency repairs to the system. Rations were mostly taken up by the hospitals, but the Kazekage's household had a modicum of comfort. He regarded the huge guest bed, wondering how he could be so sour when the rest of the village was in crisis.

He staggered out to the kitchen. Breakfast, then he had to get out of there. The storm had subsided late in the night, the path to Konoha was clear, Tsunade's dispatch would be arriving soon. It was the perfect time to make an exit. And he wasn't letting Kankurou talk him out of it this time. Temari confessing her love for Neji in his arms was a hint even he could not miss. It was time to let her go and forget her for the last time. With everything said and done, she just left him cold inside.

Kankurou was already sitting at the bench, scoffing down plain rice. Shikamaru slouched next to him with a mumbled greeting. He never kept secrets from the puppeteer, he found it impossible. Kankurou was surprisingly intuitive when it came to the truth. He couldn't tell him the reason, but he needed to know that it was time to leave Suna. Shikamaru needed to get out of there, closure was in Konoha, three days away.

"I'm leaving Suna today," he stated, not meeting the other man's eye. "The plumbers have their orders, water will be restored tomorrow."

"Hmm." Kankurou chewed his rice thoughtfully, giving Shikamaru an apprehensive look. "Not staying until she wakes up?"

"No." Shikamaru didn't elaborate, the less he said, the better.

"I wasn't just fucking with you when I said she'd want you to stay." Kankurou shoveled another scoop of rice into his mouth.

"I know." Shikamaru scooped out a bowl of rice from the pot, sitting down next to his friend. He wasn't sure that he did believe that she wanted him around, but it was easier not to argue. "I'm leaving anyway."

"No, you're not." The voice came from the door, Shikamaru turned to see the Kazekage, arms crossed across his chest. "You're staying until she's fully recovered."

"Gaara, I..." He almost bit his tongue, wondering if it was wise to argue with Gaara. Hell, if there was ever a time to do it, now was it. "I'm needed back in Konoha."

"Not according to Tsunade-sama." The Kazekage's eyes pierced like knives. His perpetually emotionless face gave away nothing, but emanated a calm anger. It was enough to make the strongest man quake with fear. And Shikamaru was not the strongest of men. "Either give me the real reason, or you're staying."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled, burying his nose in his bowl. "Guess I'm sticking around."

What a pain. How was he supposed to forget Temari when he was staying in her guest room? It was his own fault. He should have run from this years ago. He had dug his own grave and couldn't blame Gaara for burying him in it.

"Good to hear," Gaara said monotonously, serving his own breakfast. "Kankurou told me that you were the one to rescue her. You have my gratitude."

"Neji saved her, I just kept us on the ground."

"I'm sure he was a great asset." Gaara took a graceful bite of rice, eyeing the shadow-nin carefully. "However I know that you were the one who initiated the mission to rescue my sister."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he could swallow his bowl of rice in a single mouthful and leave the room quickly. No, too much. He genuinely enjoyed the company of his Suna family when they weren't giving him compliments or grilling him about Temari. Unfortunately that was all they ever did nowadays. If he didn't find a way out of being Nakodo, he'd never hear the end of this.

He thought about outright telling her brothers that he was in love with Temari, excusing himself from Suna and the wedding. Maybe excusing himself from their lives until it stopped hurting. It was over, he couldn't spend another sleepless night thinking about her. Life had to go on and his had ground to a halt. No, telling them wasn't an option. He had to recover on his own. Maybe seeing her happily married to Neji was the shock he needed to jolt him out of this infatuation.

"Temari needs her fluids," he said by way of an excuse, anything to escape the room. Sleeping Temari was better than lively questions concerning her. He rose from his chair, ignoring the rest of his breakfast, and made his way upstairs.

She was curled up in the fetal position, sheets twisted around her tightly. More nightmares, he guessed. He had been woken in the night several times by screams and wails. He sat beside her, easing her onto her back so that he could begin feeding her. Her body moved easily under his hands as she quietly accepted his treatment. The calm cooperation helped him steady his nerves and feed her without freaking out.

"Temari," he whispered to her, watching the orange liquid drip over her lips. "Let me go. Please. Wake up and tell me to walk away."

Her tongue darted out, licking the last of the orange juice off her lips. A contented sigh escaped her chest as she rolled over, a delicate hand settling on his knee. She looked so happy, so peaceful. Thinking he was Neji again, maybe. Hell, why not? It couldn't get much worse at this point.

He slowly removed himself from under her hand, leaving her to sleep. Her fan leaned against the bed, still stained with blood and filthy with grime. She'd hate that, her tessen was always in pristeen condition. Shikamaru looked around for fan polish, if she was going to awaken traumatised the dirty weapon would only remind her of her time in the desert. The polish wasn't readily available on any surface, so he eyed off her drawers. She'd most certainly kill him, was it worth it?

Shikamaru grimaced, he had long since resigned himself to pleasing the girl at any cost. He opened the top drawer of her cupboard, knowing that she'd want the polish close at hand. He averted his eyes from the collection of underwear, his brain registering and pushing away the fact that he thought she'd have more sensible taste in panties. The second drawer held carefully folded dresses, but no polish.

The bottom drawer wasn't clothing. A number of promising looking bottles filled the drawer, along with assorted kunai and senbon, a small book, a hand fan, and a pile of shredded paper. He staunchly ignored the other items, withdrawing the first bottle. None were labelled, so instead he unstopperd the jar and smelled it. A wildly alcoholic smell made him cough. Disinfectant. He put it aside for future use. His hand strayed over the pile of papers. Why would she tear up that much paper and then keep it? Shikamaru shook his head, instead pulling out a purple glass bottle. His chest tightened at the scent of the sweet perfume. Pure Temari, spicy and sensual. The bottle was tossed back in as if it burned. Once again he lingered on the papers, and once again turned away. The third bottle was the charm, a greasy, acrid smell that was definitely polish. He turned to grab her fan, and stopped.

With a glance around the room, Shikamaru dug into the pile of papers. His life was already forfeit for digging through her stuff. May as well sate his curiosity. The shards of paper seemed to make up letters. He had no chance of deciphering the whole contents, but his eye was caught by one corner. _Dear Shikamaru_ the letter began. No more words were on the page. He shuffled through the shreds, trying to find something to tell him what the letter was about. _Marriage, love, Konoha, Neji, Tsunade, Gaara, _and _summer_ were all common words, caught up in fragments of sentences that made no sense. The letters were all addressed to him in various ways, _troublesome bastard, Nara _and _crybaby_ were all apparent nicknames, the signoffs equally fickle, the most affectionate was _yours, Temari_ and his eyebrows shot up as he read _fuck you. Temari._

"Nara?"

The voice made him shoot up, smacking his head violently against an open drawer. Shikamaru fell forwards, a throbbing pain in his head, trying to look up at Temari. She was pulling herself up in the bed, trying to sit up. He quickly stuffed everything back in her drawer, keeping only the polish, then clambered up to the bed, his head throbbing.

"Don't try to sit, you've got too much muscle damage," he told her.

"I've got what?" She still struggled to rise.

"Muscle damage." He tried to push her back onto the bed, but she flinched under his touch, jerking away from his hands. Shikamaru stopped his efforts, staring at her. Temari never flinched. Ever. If she didn't like him touching her, she'd rather cut off his hands. "Are you okay?"

Temari looked at him like he was an idiot. "What do you think, baka? How long have I been out?"

Shikamaru paused, good question, he'd lost track of time with his own erratic sleep patterns. "40 hours. You were badly injured out there."

"No kidding," she grumbled, forcing herself into an upright position without so much as a whimper of pain. "I want to talk to Gaara."

Shikamaru nodded, put off by her cold manner. They had to be patient, she needed time to recover. Her eyes scanned the room, flicking nervously to the corners, searching for an unseen danger. With a yawn he left the room, hoping that a few minutes would be enough for her to compose herself for Gaara.

The Kazekage was still sitting in the kitchen, talking to Kankurou over breakfast. He faked a yawn as he entered to avoid eavesdropping. The two men turned to him.

"Temari's awake, she's asking for Gaara."

The brothers froze with their mouths full. Gaara stood up so fast that his stool fell over, pushing past Shikamaru and up the stairs. Shikamaru smirked and picked up the stool, sitting across from Kankurou. The Suna-nin swallowed his mouthful. "Tema's awake?"

"And already trying to move around," Shikamaru yawned again, this time genuinely. Maybe this meant that Gaara would let him go now. His mind was still playing on the letters. Temari wasn't the kind of girl to hesitate in sending a missive. Or tear it into pieces. What in hell was she trying to tell him that was so difficult to write down? He looked at Kankurou. "Do you..."

Kankurou looked up as he trailed off. "Do I what?"

Good question. What would he know about his sister's personal correspondence? He decided to start from the beginning and see if the other man could fill in any blanks. "I was looking for her fan polish, and I came across a whole bunch of letters to me that she'd torn up. Do you know what they are?"

Kankurou grimaced and sighed. "Not another lot."

"Another?" Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up. What the hell was going on here?

"At least this time she didn't destroy her room along with them." The puppeteer took a swig of his tea, thumping the cup down on the bench and stood up. "I"m not getting involved in her girl stuff. Bloody hell. She said she was done with this shit. Trust me on this, don't even ask her about it."

"Uh... okay?"

"You can't stop me!" Temari's voice descending the stairs made both men turn to look. She stormed into the foyer, fully dressed in her black yukata, filthy fan in hand.

"I can and will stop you," Gaara replied calmly, following her. Shikamaru and Kankurou walked to meet them as the siblings faced off.

"My team is out there," Temari stated, chin held high. "If they're still alive, I'm bringing them back."

"Temari-" Kankurou stepped forward, grabbing her by the elbow. Furious eyes turned on him. The slap echoed around the room and the puppeteer stumbled back, more in shock than pain.

She turned to the door and Gaara warned her, "Nee-san, it's going to be very embarrassing for you if I have to drag you back inside. Don't touch that door."

Temari gave Gaara a defiant glare and wrenched the door open. She strode outside into the sunlight, her shoulders squared with confidence. The wind-nin stopped dead. The tessen clattered to the ground. She was frozen, unable to move.

The three men looked at each other, trying to discern which one of them had stopped her. All three men showed theirs hands to say it wasn't them. The moment of confusion was cut short by the suddenly audible breathing of the sand princess. She gasped for air, hyperventilating. Her hands were shaking badly that they shook her hair as she grasped her head.

Temari fell to her knees. From deep in her throat, a scream shattered the still Suna air.

Shikamaru finally snapped out of his daze, leaping forward and sweeping her up in his arms. Her body trembled violently. She had her eyes squeezed shut tightly, blocking out all stimuli. The girl was terrified. He pushed past her brothers, getting her inside.

"Temari," he whispered to her, carrying her up the stairs. "You're okay, Temari-chan."

As he sat on her bed, he let her sit in his lap, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest. He held her close, trying to provide some sense of security. Without even thinking, Shikamaru kissed her forehead, whispering assurances in her ear. Her cradled her shaking body, gently rocking back and forth. Slowly her hands slipped from her face, her trembling subsided.

Her eyes closed, she was out again. Shikamaru held onto her just a moment too long, pressing her against his chest, for his comfort instead of hers. He knew that his face had drained of colour. Something was horribly wrong. He had never seen her so scared, not even when she was facing almost certain death.

Sakura would know more, he decided as he lay her gently on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He sighed. Gaara sure as hell wasn't letting him go now.

As he turned to leave, he came face to face with two violet eyes.


	6. The Great Escape

_**A/N:**_ In the japanese tradition of engagement, when a couple first met, usually in a public area, when he brought her home he would leave a fan to say he was interested. That would be the first step towards an engagement.

--

_He dreamed of rain. The skies opened up, water illuminated by sunlight peaking through the clouds. This was new, there was never sunlight. It turned the sand a pale yellow, the rolling plains almost pretty under the twin elements. _

"_Shikamaru-kun."_

_Shikamaru turned. Temari stood in the oasis that was growing, vines twisting around her legs and flowers sprouting under her feet. If it had been Sakura or Ino they would have looked like an angel. Temari never looked like an angel, and that's what he liked about her. The tomboy tore free of the growth, walking toward him. Her purple combat dress was just a little too short, a little too sexy._

_He watched as the rain soaked her dress, making it cling to the shape of her breasts, he took a deep, steadying breath. Her whole body was begging to be touched. He remembered her warmth, wanting to taste it again. This wasn't Temari, this was just a hollow image, but he didn't care. It was her, it was more than he could ever hope for. _

_Shikamaru grabbed the front of her dress, pulling her forward and tearing off her obi in one movement. Temari gasped but slid unresisting into his arms. She was every bit as warm as he remembered, her heat protecting him from the rain. Their lips met, clinging softly together through the downpour. Shikamaru forced the kiss to become more aggressive, feeling her silent response. The whole of his life was taken up being a gentleman, a proper shinobi, he was sick of it. If he couldn't have Temari while he was waking, he'd take her in his dreams._

_With one hand he undid the front of her dress, his other hand wrapped in her hair. She whimpered in his arms. Her exposed skin was beautiful, sand coloured and glistening with rain cascading down her. She shivered under his gaze, and he could feel that his face was wearing nothing pleasant, he felt like he had lost what gentleness he had, he wanted her and was going to have her. The purple dress fluttered to the ground, leaving her naked before his eyes._

_Shikamaru's hands moved over her hips, his lips calming her nervous eyes. He pushed her back so that they both lay in the sand. His hands fumbled with his pants. He needed her so badly. Needed all of her. Needed her to be his. The sand had turned to slush under them, he didn't care. The water made their bodies slide together so beautifully, her legs spread and wrapped around his waist, soon they were making desperate love in the sand. It was rough and heavy, the last of his restraint gone. Their cries mixed together and were whipped away by the wind. Her frantic gasps urged him on, her soft heels in the small of his back guided him, she felt so damn good._

_Shikamaru was red-faced and panting, he knew that he couldn't hold out. Temari's cries were reaching a fever pitch, her nails digging into his arms. He buried his face in her neck, wanting to feel her release with every inch of his body before he let himself go. She drew a great breath, falling silent like the calm before the storm. Her hips tilted up, pressing against him, bracing for the shock._

"Wake up!"

A shock of cold water made Shikamaru bolt upright, looking around in disorientation. He spat out a mouthful of water, shaking the droplets from his face. What?

Kankurou standing above him with an empty bucket told the story. The purple-smeared mug was something of a change to the blissful blonde that he would have preferred to stay with, but the pounding in his head combined with the water made him shake himself awake.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, his mind slowly registering that it was the middle of the day and he should not have been asleep.

"I think the technical term was," Kankurou clasped his hands together, imitating Neji, "Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!"

He finished the impression with a furious furrow of his eyebrows and a taijutsu pose, making Shikamaru smirk. He must have pissed Neji off badly for him to pull out eight trigrams. All he could remember doing was carrying Temari upstairs, after that things got a bit fuzzy.

"Let that be a lesson to me for whatever I did." He let a smile quirk on his lips. "No touching Temari from now on, I guess."

"I was going to ask what you did, but I guess you dont remember. Hyuuga doesn't have a hair trigger. Unlike some people I know."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows at the puppeteer. Was he suggesting that there had something inappropriate going on in her room to set Neji off? He'd been accused of many things in his life, mostly laziness, but never anything like that. He thought for a minute. Should he take insult to the fact that no one ever suspected him of anything sexual?

"I didn't do anything wrong," he asserted with confidence. "I wouldn't."

"I know, but you did something to anger the Hyuuga." Kankurou sneered at the name. Shikamaru felt marginally appreciative that Kankurou wasn't accepting Neji into the family easily. "Do you still want to go back to Konoha?"

The question took Shikamaru by surprise. "What?"

"With Temari the way she is..." Kankurou sighed. "It took her a long time to get over you, and with the letters and you fighting with Neji-san, I don't think it's a good idea for you to stay. She has enough to deal with without a relapse. I'll handle Gaara for you."

Shikamaru could have sworn that his heart had stopped. Every muscle in his body froze. Kankurou's words shorted out his brain, what the hell had he just said? He tried to wrap his malfunctioning mind around the statement. Temari had taken a lot of time to get over him. She had been into him. Now she was over him. Except for the letters.

"She was so sure that you were going to propose," The puppeteer continued, oblivious to his friend's petrified state. "You should have seen the junihitoe she had made. Even Gaara was pissed off that you let Hyuuga take her instead. You're a brave man to piss off Gaara."

"She..." Shikamaru's throat closed over. His stomach heaved, rebelling against him.

Kankurou paused, looking at him in disbelief. "You didn't realise? She was in Konoha every chance she could get, how did you not know?"

"She never said..."

"She's Temari."

Shikamaru grasped his aching head in his hands. How could this have happened? Was Kankurou right about this or just assuming? Gaara was mad at him, that was bad from any angle. The information swirled around in his brain, unable to be digested. His body had gone numb and he folded back into bed, not even feeling his shoulder hit the wall.

"You..." Kankurou looked at him apprehensively. He threw his hands in front of him defensively, backing out of the room. "Fuck, man, I'm not getting involved in this shit."

Shikamaru lay back on the bed, closing his eyes. He needed an answer, needed a plan, but his head wasn't with him. He dully shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to gain some clarity. His fingers fumbled around something and he pulled the foreign object in front of his eyes.

The fan. He'd forgotten it was still in his pocket. With this he could tell Temari that he wanted to be her husband. But that would be cruel. He'd be putting himself between her and Neji. It would be painful for her if she wasn't truly over him, and painful for him if she was. He couldn't do that to her or to himself.

He became dimly aware that Kankurou was talking to Sakura in the hall. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but he wanted to know why Temari freaked out.

"She just lost it." The puppeteer's muffled voice came through the walls.

"When she walked outside?" Sakura sounded very concerned. "Agoraphobia is a fairly common reaction to trauma. A fear of the outside world."

"She's afraid of outside?" Kankurou swore loudly.

"She's going to need time and a lot of care to get over this. It isn't something that will go away overnight."

"When's she going to be fit for duty again? Gaara will want to know."

"I can't say. It could be a few weeks, or a few months. Just let her do it in her own time. Encourage her to go out with an escort, but don't push her."

Afraid of the outside world? Temari? Shikamaru held his eyes closed tightly, trying to block it all out. This was just too much. Too many decisions, no answers. He just wanted what was best for Temari. That should have been easy, a clear cut choice. Now it was so polluted that he didn't know what she wanted him to do.

Now she was just a broken woman, unable to move, unable to live. She'd lost everything that was important to her. No going outside meant no missions, no training, no protecting her brothers. Being a kunoichi was everything to Temari. If she lost that, he didn't know what she'd want. Maybe she wouldn't want anything at all.

He stood up. He needed some air and something to occupy his mind. The plumbers might need help, an extra pair of hands would get the job done faster. Anything to distract himself from his current predicament. He couldn't help Temari, and it hurt so badly that he wanted to run.

He wanted to go home.

Home. He walked outside, looking around the devestation. He had done what he could. Not strong enough to dig through the rubble or rebuild, the others were handling that. No medical jutsu to help with the sick and wounded, Sakura and Ino were on that. No political pull to draw additional supplies, that was for Kankurou and Gaara. He had done what he could, now it was time to go home.

His feet led him forward, not running, just slowly pacing toward the exit. Nothing to stop him now. Kankurou would tell Gaara that he had given the order. Neji would take care of Temari and the other 10 would take care of Suna.

The wreckage of Suna was filled with people now that the storm had subsided, and he observed them as he walked. He had seen Konoha reconstructed, but it was different. In Konoha friends worked together, ninja turned construction workers, an effort of spirit and will. In Suna there was no such kinship. The ninja and civillians worked on the same wavelength, a military exercise in precision. They'd have the village up and running in no time.

This was where she was from. This was the village that bred Temari. She grew from this earth, was raised by these people, their Kazekage's daughter, their princess, their protector. She was the embodiment of the sand and the wind, of this place where a person's soul was buried too deeply to find. This place where she would suffer and break under the weight of her fear. Because friendship didn't count here, this was a place of discipline and efficiency. There was no room to be afraid. He didn't feel sorry for her, she wasn't a victim of rigidity, she was the one who enforced it.

The valley was slowly being rebuilt, though the cliff face would never again provide the same protection. Sunagakure wasn't going to be the same for a long time. Women and children huddled in doorways, some crying, most silent, trying to deal with how their lives had changed. Days after the storm there were still hundred of displaced citizens. The academy had been converted into a shelter, but still there wasn't enough room.

Shikamaru walked by, trying to ignore the suffering around him. He had to get out of there. His heart felt heavy in his chest walking away. He could feel a swell of tears in his chest, the shock finally hitting him. He'd fucked up. If he'd just had the courage to propose when he wanted to she would have accepted, now it was too late. His mouth and throat burned as he tried to hold down the sobs that threatened. She didn't deserve to be left behind.

The tears fell, his hands rising to his eyes to stifle them. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get a hold of himself. This wasn't the behaviour of a shinobi. His shoulders shook violently as he silently cried, hiding his face from the villagers. He wanted to cry out, to scream as he always did when he lost someone important, but he couldn't. There was nowhere to hide, away from prying eyes, to let his pain out.

_Please forgive me,_ he begged as he kept walking. He needed to walk away from her. His father was right, only cowards walked away. There was no denying it, he was scared. Terrified. Rejection from her would be too much for him, he wouldn't survive it. It was just easier to walk away and not look back.

"I see you're finally taking my advice."

Shikamaru stopped, not turning around at Neji's voice. His tears slowly ceased, leaving him trembling and unsteady. This was no time for a fight, but he couldn't just walk away from this. "I'm taking Kankurou's advice."

"It's good, it was time for you to leave."

The cold monotone of the Hyuuga's voice made anger flare in him. The fire of motivation was stoked to life and he turned on Neji. Temari hadn't wanted him, she'd wanted Shikamaru. Timing was the only thing that seperated them, he still had every right to be there for his friends. He felt like shit for walking away, and watching his ally encourage him in that poor decision sparked something malicious in him.

"I'm leaving against Temari's wishes."

"Temari is very sick." His voice was laced with acid, a barely audible hiss. "She is confused about what she wants."

"No she's not." Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Neither are you. You want your children to be head branch."

Neji stepped back as if he'd been struck. Shikamaru knew that the words were uncalled for. He felt his lips quirk in a grimace. He could accept it if Temari married Neji, he could move on. He could accept it if Neji didn't want him around, territory was understandable. But he couldn't accept anyone acting like he was interfering.

"I'm not thinking of myself," Neji said evenly, although his hands twitched with anger. "Temari wants to be in Konoha, she wants to be part of a clan, she wants the Byakugan and she wants to have a family."

"And what?" Shikamaru kept his hands in his pckets to relieve temptation to use his jutsu. His hand fondled the Nara fan. "You check all the boxes? There's more to marriage than that."

"Are you going to provide it?" This time the growl in his voice was unmistakeable. He took a threatening step forward, fingertips curling, ready to shut down the taller man's chakra. "You didn't even have the strength to court her when you had the chance. Temari-chan needs a man as strong as she is and you are weak. This was inevitable."

The Nara flexed his hands, unable to contain himself. He culdn't deny the truth of the words, but he was not weak. He let the fear overwhelm him, but he would have fought for her if he'd known that she wanted him to. He wasn't about to admit weakness in front of Temari's fiance.

"Do you think that she loves you? She was waiting for me. She accepted your advances because I hadn't made any." He felt his bitter scowl, preparing for the finishing blow. "Do you love her?"

"We're happy together." The byukugan flickered in Neji's eyes, his temper playing plainly on his face. "It's no longer your concern."

"Sabaku no Kankurou is one of my closest friends, his family's happiness is my concern," Shikamaru felt his shadow rumbling under his feet, stretching without his command, "I owe Sabaku no Gaara my life, and that of my friends, giving him honest advice concerning Konoha is my concern. And Sabaku no Temari... is _my_ troublesome woman."

With his last words his shadows jumped from the ground, shooting forward at the taijutsu user. Neji dodged backwards, chakra pouring from his skin. The shadow tendrils rippled on the ground. Shikamaru wanted to draw them back in, he couldn't attack Neji, but they seemed to possess a mind of their own, driven by anger. The Hyuuga seemed comparably afflicted, his enormous chakra moving in bursts, his skin reddening under the force. The two men faced off, neither moving forward or backing off.

"If we fight, I will win," Neji said seriously.

They couldn't fight, Shikamaru knew that. Fighting in the middle of a disaster zone was highly insensitive to the many victims that surrounded them. Fighting at all was forbidden among allies. "We can't fight. I'll fight you by proposing to Temari, and I will win."

Neji smirked. It wasn't a pretty sight, full of malice and anger. "If she wasn't planning to marry me, then she wouldn't have slept with me."

The barb felt like it pierced his chest, a sudden pain lancing his heart. The mental images flashed before his eyes, lighting a fire in his blood. The anger, the pain and betrayal surged through him, setting him alight. The shadows crept from the buildings toward them, drawn by the black vortex around his feet. The blackness leapt and swirled, creeping up his legs, reaching out in front of him.

Shikamaru saw a flash of fear in Neji's eyes, gone as quickly as it came. He could hear the cries of fear around him, but was unaware of what was happening. He could only see Neji. The man who had touched Temari. He had no right. No one had the right to touch her. His tunnel vision blocked out the eclipse he was creating, his fury spilling into the streets of Suna.

He stepped forward, unaware that his growing shadow was threatening to rip apart everything around him. Neji fell back, wisely keeping his distance. His Byakugan was active, his hands poised to strike.

"_Sabaku Kyuu_."

Shikamaru felt his body freeze, locked in place. His chest was compressed, like he was being crushed to death. His feet left the ground as he tried to look around, make sense of what was happening. The sand that was stinging his eyes told him the story. A clearing vision of Neji confirmed his suspicions, the cocoon of sand encompassing him was unmistakeable.

Gaara stood between them, fists outstretched, a look of death on his face.

The Kazekage glanced between them, as if deciding which to kill first. Shikamaru felt his anger pushed aside by fear. Gaara could easily kill them for disturbing the recovery efforts and scaring his citizens.

"Gaara, wait," Shikamaru begged.

Gaara's hollow eyes turned on him. His voice was always calm. "What excuse can you offer for this?"

Shikamaru glanced at Neji. Sure, he could tell Gaara that he had been bragging about sleeping with Temari, but that would mean the Hyuuga's instant death. He didn't want that. There was no way to explain this without one of them dying or at best being banished.

The Kazekage took his silence with a glare. "Suna is in ruins, my people are desperate and Temari is traumatised. And you two fight on the streets when you could be helping. If it was anyone else I would kill them."

Shikamaru felt the sand around him trickle away, leaving him awkwardly trying to find his balance again. He heaved in a lungful of air, grateful to be able to breathe again. The unexpected sensation made him cough. The shock of being imprisoned had reigned his shadow back to its normal size. He looked over to see Neji similarly coughing.

"I don't want to see either of you at the manor today. Temari is too weak for this." Gaara's tone of voice left no room for argument. He turned to walk away.

"Gaara!" Shikamaru called after him. The Kazekage turned with a frown, his gaze asking if his decision was being questioned.

Shikamaru had no intention of arguing with his dangerous friend, but staggered up to him and pressed the Nara fan into his hands.


	7. The Turning Tide

_He dreamed of rain. _

_There was no chill to the water anymore, and barely any sand. The gardens grew wild, creating an oasis in the desert. Or maybe it wasn't so cold because of the warm body by his side. The vines bound their naked bodies as he held her. It was alright, he didn't want to move an inch. _

_Beautiful green eyes glistened in the sunlight, threatening to swallow him whole. Temari smiled at him, her childish grin infectious. Her hand lay on his chest, her body curled under his arm, a picture of happiness. _

_Shikamaru smiled, looked up at the clouds._

The noise woke Shikamaru early. Dozens of people scrabbling around in the enormous hall, waking with the sun. He groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. His decision to stay at the academy shelter and give Gaara some space hadn't taken into account the fact that the Sunagakure residents were completely insufferable. He wanted to go back to sleep, where he had Temari beside him. His disgust with his bunkmates mounted as he saw them making their beds before they were even fully awake.

The shadow-nin tried to bury his face in the straw filled mattress, which was uncomfortable even when it wasn't poking him in the eye, but soon gave up on the plan. He hadn't slept well anyway, what was a few hours either way? The proposal was now on the table, he'd know today if he'd be allowed to court Temari. It wasnt enough to keep anyone up at night. If he hadn't know that she'd be waiting for him in dreams he probably wouldn't have fallen asleep at all.

He stood up, stretching out his stiff muscles and yawning loudly. He tossed the blanket lazily across the bed, ready for its next occupant. The whole hall was filled with dusty, unkempt people, moving like zombies. He felt selfish walking through there suffering nothing worse than a rumpled outfit. His problems had seemed so enormous, but staying with the displaced citizens had his depression shifting away from himself. Even if Temari shot him down he had to stay, see the village safely rebuilt and all the citizens reinstated in their homes.

With that in mind, he strolled out of the hall, wondering where he could pick up breakfast. It had been several days since the brunt of the storm hit, so there were a few places open for business again. The smell of ramen wafted toward him, making his sstomach growl. He had been so busy supervising the plumbers the evening before that he hadn't had a chance to eat. The ramen smelled so good that his feet led him toward the stand of their own accord.

The cook didnt even ask for his order, the storm had cut off supply routes, so the menu everywhere consisted of 'whatever is still in stock' and he was fine with that, it made things less troublesome. A steaming bowl of noodles arrived in front of him in minutes and he took a moment to drink in the smell before taking his first bite.

"You're the guy who's repairing the water supply, right?" The cook loomed over him, a man of impressive stature. He had an unusually kind face for someone in Suna. Shikamaru was slightly surprised by the question. Foreman of public waterworks was a job that rarely came with any celebrity attached.

"Yeah," he replied, still stuffing the food into his mouth.

"Is it true that you proposed to Temari-sama?"

This made Shikamaru look up. "News travels fast."

"So what did she say?" The cook's question was eager as he leaned over to pour more food into Shikamaru's bowl, dissolving his hopes of finishing quickly and getting out of there.

"I haven't talked to her since I gave Gaara the fan." Shikamaru tried to avoid eye contact by concentrating heavily on his food.

The man looked at him in awe. "You call him Gaara?"

A twitch was starting to form in Shikamaru's eye. Of course he called him Gaara, they'd been friends for years. It was sometimes difficult to remember that not everyone was on a first name basis with the Kazekage and his family. This was half the reason that he avoided promotion like the plague, the more he rubbed shoulders with high ranking officials, the more people found his personal life fascinating.

"Yeah," he said blankly, "we've been friends since we were genin."

He inwardly groaned when this only made the cook's eyes grow wider. "Wow, what was he like back then?"

Shikamaru laughed honestly at the question, his good humour returned now that he was mercifully finished with his meal. "He threatened to crush me to death in a sand coffin. Thanks for the food."

He tossed a few bills on the counter and walked away, not waiting for a reply. He tried to take it with good grace. Unwanted attention was a small price to pay for Temari. If she even agreed to marry him. If she even considered it for a second it would be worth it. It was time for him to face the music and get his answer. He headed in the direction of the Kazekage's manor.

The street was crowded, people flocking around the manor. Shikamaru tried to gently push through the crowds, looking for the cause of the disturbance. The people around him strained to see, murmuring amongst themselves.

Shikamaru made it to the front of the crowd, instantly seeing why everyone was crowding around. The wind princess was standing on the stoop of the manor. Her face was washed white, her fists clenched tightly, fear playing all through her body. The shadow-nin darted forward to her.

"Temari, what are you doing? You shouldn't be out here."

Temari didn't answer. She took a small step forward, her whole body shaking. Her eyes closed and she took a deep, shuddering breath. Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes. She was trying to beat this on her own. This wasn't good, Sakura said that she needed time. What the hell was Kankurou thinking, letting her out like this?

"Temari," he repeated, this time grabbing her by the arm.

"Get _off me_!" Her violent words were punctuated by a shove to the chest. Shikamaru felt his back hit one of the column supports, in a blow that would hurt him tomorrow.

The desert princess took another step forward, every muscle in her body tense. She stepped off the stoop and onto the street. The crowd around her was set off into excited chatter, obviously missing Temari's murderous look. The clang of her tessen opening silences the crowd. The hilt hit the ground, presenting its full surface area to the onlookers.

"Clear off," her voice was clean, crisp, and unmistakeably threatening. A crowd of people had never dispersed so fast, disappearing with a grumble into the alleyways and over the rooftops. Temari was soon left standing alone next to Shikamaru, who was nursing his sore back.

This time when he reached up to touch her elbow her knees buckled. Shikamaru had to leap forward to take her weight, slinging her arm around his shoulders. Every part of her trembled from the effort, and he couldn't help but smile.

"That was amazing," he breathed. "You shouldn't even be out of bed."

Temari gave him the most superior smirk she could muster. The urge to sweep her into his arms and carry her the rest of the way was stifled by self-preservation, so instead he wrapped an arm around her waist, taking more of her weight.

Her humour was short lived, he discovered as he set her gently on the edge of her bed. The Nara fan was lying on the bed, beside her hand. She looked at it and scowled, making Shikamaru's heart thump. Was she about to reject him?

She looked up at him with a sour expression, her hand fumbling with the fan. The words seemed to stall on her lips and she just looked at the fan, flicking it open. The Nara clan symbol glared up at them. Shikamaru stared at her intensely as her eyes misted up.

"Is this some kind of joke?" The anger and bitterness in her voice froze him up inside.

"No," he sighed. He hadn't really been prepared for this conversation. If she needed to reject him, he wished that she'd do it instead of mocking him.

"For years," she choked out forcefully, face flushed, "you treated me like a sister."

Shikamaru didn't know what to say. He felt tears well behind his eyes. If he'd known that she was hurting he would have done anything to make it stop, and it made him feel like an asshole to have kept her in the dark for so long. "You treated me like a brother. I thought it was what you wanted."

"I spent every waking moment trying to get back to Konoha, to cloud watch with you, listen to your boring stories," her colour was rising with humiliation, "for _years_!"

Shikamaru hung his head, rubbing his eyes to hide the tears, feeling as though he had been physically struck. His whole chest was screaming, tightening and rotting. It was as if she had her hand on his heart and was trying to pull it out of his chest. "I'm sorry."

"I was _over you!_" Her yell was hoarse, punctuated with a punch into her mattress. "Neji and I were _happy! _And you choose _now!_"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, reduced to a whisper. Then she was off the bed, her fists beating at his chest. He tried to restrain her, but she was fast and he took a hit to the sternum.

"I had just moved on!" Her words were punctuated with hits, the tears finally spilling from her eyes. "_How could you do this to me?_"

Her fists fell and she covered her face with her hand, sobbing helplessly. Her crying was filled with such raw pain that Shikamaru felt his own chest heave. He pulled her to him, letting her bury her face in his chest as he wept in her hair. Temari's body shook uncontrollably, cries escaping her that almost mimicked screams, as if she had kept all this bottled up for years and was finally letting it out, forcing something from her body.

The room was lit with electricity as he leaned down, tilting her head up. Anything to stop his Temari crying. Finally, with a rush like he had wanted nothing else all of his life, he kissed her. Saltwater mingled with the touch, he tasted her tears with closed eyes. Their tongues met, soft and wet, a tentative touch that left their mouths clinging together in desperation. Shikamaru felt an uncomfortable heat rising in him, making him gasp for breath. He broke the kiss.

Forehead pressed to hers, Shikamaru listened to her sniffles, wondering who this beautiful little girl was that he had stumbled upon. "Marry me."

Temari said nothing, her face still contorted with hurt. But the jerky nod of her head against his chest made his throat close up. She burst into fresh tears, apparently abandoning all hope of saving face. Shikamaru crushed her against his chest so hard that her feet left the ground. Tears still streamed from his eyes, but he smiled like a man blessed.

_She said yes!_ The realisation washed over him, hitting like a blow to the chest. Temari was going to be his wife. He'd never again wait for months to hear her voice, or walk her to the gate and be forced to watch her leave. There was no more lying or jealousy. Just a them, together, kids and pets and whatever else she wanted. She was his, forever.

He dragged her onto the bed, letting her tired body rest in his arms. He would have kept standing, but if he was going to hold her until the stars burned out, standing up would get tiring. Her puffy red eyes turned toward him and he couldn't help but smile. She was so beautiful, even sniffling and bleary eyed. The tears that sparkled on her cheeks made her look so sad that he had to reach up and brush them away, leaving glistening streaks over her face. His hand rested on her cheek, tilting her chin to receive his kiss.

He would never admit to anyone that Temari had been his first kiss. Now he couldn't imagine wanting to do anything but kiss her all day. It could take forever to memorise every tiny detail of her, the way she pushed forward with enthusiasm a little more with every lick and bite, the tiny, breathless whimper that escaped her every time his tongue touched hers, the exact amount of pressure applied as her fingers dug into his shoulders. She was just as warm as he had imagined her.

As their tongues danced together, lips pressing and parting, he felt a dormant sensation. The feeling was so perfect that it felt like it was restoring bloodflow to his body, repairing his withered heart. The fresh blood seemed to have absorbed her warmth, sending it flying through his veins. His heart thundered in his ears. Unwittingly, his eyes turned on Temari with desire.

The short hem on her skirt danced under his fingertips, teasing him. Temari pulled him deeper into the kiss, her hands wrapped through his hair. She toyingly pulled out his hair tie, tossing it across the room. Shikamaru smiled into her lips. He let his hand flatten onto her thigh, drifting up to her hip. Temari gasped. Her skin was so soft, so warm, the muscles that flexed under his hand were perfect.

"You better not be fucking with me, Nara." Her voice was just a gasp. Shikamaru smirked at her, enjoying her state of vulnerability. He ran his hand to her backside and squeezed gently. Temari jumped, a cry of pleasure and shock escaping her.

Shikamaru groaned into her neck. "Mm, do that again."

He squeezed more firmly, her groan was his reward. Oh, this was fantastic. He could see why people liked this. His hands were tentative as he moved upward, running his thumb over the sweet spot of her hip, her dress riding up along his wrist. He couldn't help but wonder if she was really allowing him to do this, Temari of the Desert surely wouldn't let him touch her like this, but her satisfied whimpers told another story.

Emboldened, he rolled over so the he was straddling her hips, his hands either side of her head. Her eyes were smouldering, her lips parted, she wanted him. Her exposed throat was begging to be kissed, and he obliged, sucking gently at the tender skin. This time she responded, her hands running under his shirt, trailing her nails over his belly. Shikamaru shuddered, her touch raised goosebumps on his skin.

Delicate hands pushed his jounin vest off his shoulders and he regarded her carefully. Sakura had ordered bedrest, no exertion or stress, if Temari started to weaken at all he'd have to stop, and her hips bucking gently underneath him put him dangerously close to the point of no return. Temari's whimper of protest at his delay snapped him back to the present, where he tossed his vest on the ground, followed by his shirt.

"Oh, Shika..." Temari stared up at him with appreciative eyes. Her lips parted and her cheeks flushed, he had never seen her look so sexy. Her hips writhed, trying to get out of the restraints of his legs, but he didn't let her go, instead using one hand to tear her obi, letting her dress flutter open.

"Tema-chan," he whispered in her ear, his hand spreading her dress open and closing around her breast, "I've dreamed about this for so long."

She let out a sobbing sound, her back arching into his touch. This was torture and he knew it. He was painfully hard and wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted, but he wasn't going to neglect a single inch of her. He hadn't dreamed and fantasised about her for years only to rush it now. The first time he made love with his wife it would be perfect. The thought of her as his wife sent a shock up his spine, making his head drop. He laid a reverent kiss on her sternum, breathing in the scent of sand.

Shikamaru shuffled back, so that he was on her thighs. He took a moment to admire the woman who lay beneath him, her sun kissed glory spread before him, an expression of hopeful dread on her face. With a smirk, Shikamaru pushed her panties aside, fingers stroking in a way that made her close her eyes and cry out, pure ecstacy on her face. When her moans began to wane, he slid his fingers inside her. Her yell was instantaneous. Her back arched, shoulders rolling against the mattress. The bed jolted in an alarming way and Shikamaru looked around, seeing their clothes caught in a gust of wind. He grinned at Temari, not sure if she'd done that on purpose or not.

"Shikamaru, don't tease," she whimpered. He closed his eyes, not considering it to be teasing at all. If anything he was teasing himself, he'd much rather have something else buried inside her. Yeah, this was torture, but it would be worth it. The pleading on her face made his resolve crumble. As always, anything for Temari.

"Anything for you," he whispered, withdrawing his hand and tearing the sides of her panties so that he could throw them off without it being troublesome. She quivered, naked before his eyes. Kami, she was gorgeous. He hesitated when she reached for his pants and their eyes met. No one had ever seen him naked. "Temari..."

He hadn't expected any sympathy from her. Temari was a hard woman, she accepted no weakness. So it was to his great surprise that she rose up on her elbows and dragged his mouth down to hers in a slow, loving kiss. The kiss drained away any doubt in his mind. She'd accept him as he was. He rolled off her to remove his pants, her eyes were gracefully averted and he wondered at her newfound sensitivity.

His father had said to him that even a woman as rough as Temari would have a tender side for the man she loves. He'd never really believed it. But as she turned her dewey eyes back onto him, he saw the most tender woman that he'd ever laid eyes on. Her golden hair splayed against the white sheets, her tan skin in stark constrast. A desert flower.

Shikamaru kneeled over her as she obligingly spread her legs to accommodate him. Her body was silently begging for him, wantonly coaxing him forward, it was enough to drive a man wild. He caught her eyes, sharing a secret smile before pushing into her. The combined shock of the new sensations and her husky groan forced all the air from his lungs. His arms held all his weight and he was afraid that his back would give out with this amazing feeling. It was like his blood had been replaced with fire.

"Is it supposed to feel like this?" he gasped with a smile, running a hand through Temari's hair.

"I don't think so," she replied breathlessly, grinning. "Don't stop."

Shikamaru laughed and began to move. He'd never done this before, so he wasn't sure about the right way, but he soon found himself acting on instinct. With each thrust a moan was torn from deep in Temari's throat, and he just found himself wanting to hear that moan. Again and again. Temari held onto the headboard, her body prostrate. The sight made the fire in him burn hotter.

The increasing pitch of her moans told him everything. He was doing this right for her, and damn, was he doing it right for himself. The sensations swirled along his spine, making his head spin. The bed rocked violently as wind tore around the floor, Temari's involuntary chakra expulsion tearing up her room. He didn't know how she managed to arch her hips at just the right angle, her legs spreading and her heels pushing on the small of his back.

Her legs tightened around him, her moans now just whimpers of pleasure. His head spun with the way she surrendered to him so completely, her hips meeting each thrust, knuckles white as she gripped the headboard.

"Please... oh, please..." she whimpered. Oh, Kami, she was begging. He increased his pace, hypnotised by her reaction. She was so close, he could feel it. He wanted to get her there more than anything. He wanted to see his princess glow. The thought was heartwrenching, and he leaned down close to her, so that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"I love you."

Temari screamed, her hips bucking against him. He felt her tighten around him, her release making her whole body spasm. Shikamaru let out a groan, the feelings overwhelming him. He joined her in violent satisfaction, pushed over the edge. Their moans mingled together as they held on to each other with all their strength. He felt the painful hunch of his spine ease, leaving him exhausted. Temari let out a sigh of contentment, her eyes heavy.

Shikamaru rolled to the side, his whole body in shock from the experience. He gasped for air, not sure if he wanted to recover. It would be no trouble to do that with Temari for the rest of his life. She cuddled up to him, body still trembling and looked at him with dreamy eyes.

"I love you, too, Shikamaru-kun."


	8. The Morning After

Shikamaru smiled, watching Temari roll over in her sleep. She squished her face against her hand and let out a soft snore. He laughed at the transformation from gracefully beautiful to unbearably cute. Lying in the bed, wrapped in light cotton sheets and engulfed by her warmth, he wondered if this was heaven. Unlikely. Most angels wouldn't beat a man up for watching them sleep, if caught.

Soon he'd take her back to Konoha, where she'd nag him into oblivion, probably never make a single friend, and almost certainly become a co-conspirator with his mother. Maybe love was just a special kind of craziness, but even that sounded amazing to him. As he watched her his eyes were clouded with visions of their future together. Temari in a wedding kimono, wearing a Konoha forehead protector, pregnant, scheming with Yoshino, arguing with the other kunoichi. So troublesome.

Temari yawned, her eyes fluttering open. Shikamaru quickly pretended that he hadn't been watching her, staring blankly at the ceiling. She stretched her arms above her head, laying back down with a satisfied sigh.

"Good morning," she murmured sleepily.

"Morning?" he asked with a smirk. "It's three in the afternoon."

"Right." Temari smiled happily. "You tired me out this morning."

Shikamaru blushed, unused to compliments. He loved the way her skin glowed with happiness, a dreamy quality in her gaze that told him that she wasn't just stroking his ego. He really had satisfied her into this laziness. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. She sighed and settled against his chest. His hands ran down her back and for the first time he felt the damage to her skin.

Sakura had told them that she might need skin grafts, but he wasn't expecting what he saw when he pulled the sheets down. If it had been Ino or Sakura, he knew they would have shied away from his gaze. Temari simply gave him a questioning look, submitting to his examination, daring him to say anything. The skin wasn't so much cut up as it was... shredded. This was where most of the sand had been removed from, and her skin had been pierced in a thousand places, making it look like she was bleeding from her pores.

"That's..." he raised an eyebrow. "Disgusting."

"So are you, but I don't make fun of you about it," Temari shot back, laughter in her eyes.

"You'll be alright," he said, stroking her back. "Or I'll donate my skin and you'll have a pale back."

She snickered. "Then you'd have a skinless back."

"Nah, I'd use skin from my face, so I could look like my dad." He grasped his chin in imitation of a tiny beard and scowled at her, leaving her biting her lips to restrain laughter. "Since he's never going to forget that I made his mistake and married a bossy woman."

"Sounds like I'm going to love your mother," she said with a smirk. He didn't answer, instead kissing her softly, dreading the moment when Yoshino found out that he was engaged. Temari smiled at him, stretching again. "I'm hungry."

She sat up, reaching for her dress. Shikamaru leaned over, pulling the clothing out of her hands. "Don't even think it. I'll get food, you stay naked."

Temari lay back in bed, letting the sheet slip down around her waist, the smuggest look on her face. "If you keep this up, I won't be able to call you lazy anymore."

"Keeping you naked is plenty of motivation for me," he nodded solemnly, pulling his pants on. He paused, letting his eyes wander over her for the hundredth time. This was never going to get old. He pulled his shirt over his head, not bothing with the vest. He took one more look at her as he stepped into the hallway, smiling to himself before pulling the door shut.

Although he'd stayed there dozens of times, the manor took on a new feel as he wandered down the stairs. Less like a stopover and more like home. The feeling was soothing, making his whole body relax unexpectedly. He sauntered into the kitchen, nodding a greeting to Kankurou, who sat at the bench filling out paperwork. The puppet-nin nodded back, chewing lazily on a pear, then looked over his shoulder, a spark of fear in his eyes.

Shikamaru noticed the look and whirled around, coming face to face with Gaara. The Kazekage's moods were difficult to distinguish for people who hadn't known him long, since the range of him emotions for deliriously happy to deep in despair were displayed by the tiniest quirk of his eyebrows or twitch of his lips, but his mood at that moment was unmistakeable. Murderous rage practically radiated from the man.

"Did you have sex with my sister?" His voice was so calm, and ice cold.

Shikamaru swallowed hard, seeing his life flash before his eyes. He looked around the room, wondering if he could make it through the window quicker than Gaara's sand could catch him. Probably not. Kankurou was very pointedly averting his eyes, focussing hard on his paperwork. Dammit, he could have used some backup on this, maybe a little help to prevent his death.

He turned wide eyes back to Gaara, mouth fumbling for something to say. The Kazekage's eyes fixed on him, unblinking, unwavering, waiting for an answer.

"I... uh..." Shikamaru stumbled back, grabbing a hold of the bench to steady himself. Gaara was going to murder him in cold blood.

The Kazekage's lips twitched. Shikamaru heard Kankurou snickering into his food behind him. He turned around, heart still pounding in his throat. "You bastards."

Gaara offered a semi-normal smirk and Kankurou roared laughing. "The look on your face was priceless."

Shikamaru scowled at them and started fishing through the cupboards for some food. This was definitely like having brothers. He'd never actually seen Gaara pull a prank before. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You'll have to harden up if you're going to marry Temari," Kankurou said with a grin as Shikamaru turned back to the bench, setting down two bowls. "You are marrying her, right?"

"Yes." The shadow-nin glared at him, his nose still out of joint from their trick, then turned to grab a box of cereal. He hid a smirk from the brothers and continued, his voice raw with earnest emotion. "I love her more than the moon and the stars, she's really my soulmate."

He turned to savour the awkward expressions as the two brothers shifted uncomfortably, not meeting his eye. He let the emotionally stunted pair wallow in his statement for a few more moments before grinning viciously.

"You bastard," Kankurou growled, simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought you'd lost your mind."

"Revenge is sweet." Shikamaru poured milk over the cereal then brushed past the still shifting Kazekage. He laughed to himself as he started to head upstairs, but stopped as he saw the front door open. Hyuuga Neji stepped in the door.

The two men regarded each other warily, until Shikamaru dipped his head in greeting. "You want to talk to Temari?"

Neji nodded and Shikamaru continued up the stairs before he was tempted to gloat. There was no need to get petty about this. They had fought, he had won, there was no shame on either side. He repeated those words to himself all the way up the stairs. Temari had chosen him. There was no point to jealousy. She could talk to Neji, it wouldn't be weird.

She sat up as he walked in the door, a concerned look on her face. "Did something happen?"

He shook his head, handing one bowl to her. "Neji is downstairs. He wants to see you."

Temari winced, shuffling out of bed. She precariously ate with one hand while digging around the warzone for her clothing. Shikamaru felt some manly pride at seeing his woman naked, trying to find her clothes after wrecking the room in a fit of lust. He didn't want to be testosterone-driven, but the scene before him definitely calmed any nerves he had about her talking to Neji. Worrying about Temari was pointless, he was smart enough to figure that out. Even confronting her jilted lover, she showed no signs of anxiety. She just smirked at him as she tied her obi, all confidence.

"Woman, you're too happy to break a man's heart," he growled, pulling her towards him for another kiss.

"Break his heart?" she sniffed with a raised eyebrow. "I think you've misinterpretted the arrangement that Neji and I had."

Shikamaru gave her a questioning look. He rarely misinterpretted situations. "You said that you loved him while you were asleep."

Temari snorted, grinning genuinely. "I apologise if my post-surgery delirium mislead you."

His mind slowly processed that fact. If she didn't love him, how badly had he misread the situation? That fact changed everything. If she didn't love Neji, did Neji love her? He'd never said as much. Just acted like a possessive jerk. That was as good as the fact, wasn't it?

"Did you really sleep with him?" Shikamaru shook his head, trying to run through the events of the past few days with his refreshed perspective.

"Yes," she said with an even gaze. "Does that change how you think of me?"

He didn't know, keeping silent for a moment. She had slept with someone that she didn't love, surely he wasn't enough of a prude for that to affect his opinion of her. It was more that he was enraged at the idea of any other man touching her, but that wasn't her fault, he was the one who passed her up. "No. I'm just... confused. What's going on here?"

"Let me elaborate," she said with a smirk. "About two years ago Neji and I were sent on a collaborative mission together, the one to Kiri."

"I remember that," he nodded. It was the first time he looked at Neji and wanted to wreck his pretty face.

Temari looked upward, remembering with a smirk. "We had a lot in common, we ended up actually enjoying the mission. We kept in touch after the mission, through letters and my diplomatic visits."

Letters? He felt jealousy rage through him. She had never sent him a letter. _No, no_, he had to remind himself, _it's me that she loves._Shikamaru bit his tongue and continued listening.

"About a year ago the council started pressuring me to marry, diplomatic relations, they said. I wanted you. Neji knew it and we talked about it. He felt that since you had snubbed me for so long that you didn't deserve me. It was obvious that a marriage between us would benefit both sides, for numerous reasons. So we made an arrangement. He would court me, and if by the time we married you had not made an offer, we would marry and be happy with it."

Shikamaru frowned. That was certainly a different arrangement than what he had imagined. He watched Temari smirk, walking over to her mirror to fix her hair. He wasn't sure if he should be offended by the trickery or pleased that Neji was looking after her.

"Neji was willing to fight me for you."

Temari's eyes were tinted with sadness as she hid herself behind the Nara fan. "You've hurt me for a long time, Nara. I see it as half my fault, but he and I don't always see eye to eye."

Shikamaru sat down, setting his bowl of food aside so that he could touch his fingertips together. The whole thing felt off colour. He stared off into space, mulling over the situation in his mind. His vision was eclipsed by Temari's face as she knelt in front of him, her fingers reaching up to play with a loose strand of hair that hung along the side of his face.

"Nara," she murmured, the sensitivity returning to her voice, "you haven't broken any hearts. Let me handle Neji."

He reached out and took her hand, giving her a weak smile. He forced the feeling out of his chest, this was what he wanted. Temari was his and she didn't have any residual feelings for Neji. He took her hand and pulled her forward, kissing her softly. "Tell me that you'll wear that junihitoe when we finalise the engagement."

The hands laced together, noses still touching. He could feel her warm breath and saw her eyes smile. They rested their foreheads together, and she nudged his nose with her own. "I'll wear it for you."

His heart rose, the words soothing him like cool water. For now their bickering and rivalry was set aside, and he should be using the time to help her through her sickness instead of cooling his jealousy. "I'm taking you across the street for ramen."

Her skin paled ever so slightly at the thought, but she covered it with a smile.

Temari rose, straightening her obi. "You're on. But first, I need to go talk to our Nakodo."


	9. The New Beginning

**Four months later...**

_He dreamed of clear skies. The clouds that floated overhead were white and fluffy, carrying no rain, and the breeze that blew through the sky was cool against the hot sun._

_Shikamaru looked around at the forest that had grown. The trees stretched out as far as he could see, overflowing with flowers and fruit. The grass beneath his feet was long and thick, a carpet that showed none of the sand that had once been the landscape's singular feature. He smiled, relaxing against a tree to look at the clouds._

_His eyes were caught by something other than the clouds. She sat on a low branch, dress blowing in the breeze. A smile lit her face and his heart skipped a beat._

"_Temari-chan," he held out his hand toward her. _

Shikamaru shot awake as he felt something smack him in the forehead. He looked around, still disoriented. Shikaku sat across from him, flinging children's wooden shuriken. He must have fallen asleep on the couch.

"You're lucky it was me who caught you sleeping. Your mother would have used a real shuriken," Shikaku intoned lazily.

Shikamaru looked around, regaining his bearings. His memory returned to him slowly, and he remembered why he had fallen asleep sitting up. He had been waiting. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to be awake," Shikaku said with a sly smirk. "Judging by the pretty young lady heading toward our house."

Shikamaru's heart jumped into his throat. He hadn't expected to be so nervous. "She's here? What a pain."

With a sigh he staggered to his feet, brushing off his rumpled hakama. Yoshino would have a fit if he didn't look at least half presentable. He looked over at his father. At least he wasn't the only one who looked completely uncomfortable in formalwear.

But for a man's engagement, he had to try.

It was traditional for his parents to meet the party that were heading toward his house, but Shikamaru hadn't seen Temari in three months, and wasn't as blessed with restraint as some men his age were. He walked to the front door casually, letting himself savour the anticipation but wanting to end his nerves.

She walked along the dusty roads of Konoha, barely recognisable against the glare of the sun. Kankurou was talking with her, they were most likely bickering about something. Gaara's arm linked through Temari's, acting as her guardian although everyone knew that even the Kazekage would never dare refer to himself as such. Lastly, Neji walked beside Kankurou, their stone-faced Nakodo.

It was amazing to see her walking down the streets. He had stayed in Suna for a month, taking her out every day, holding her hand as she shook with fear until she could go out without him being there. Now she walked in a foreign place, the skies stretching out around her.

Shikamaru felt his heart thump hard as he realised that she was wearing the junihitoe that he had seen pinned against her wall. She wore his clan colours proudly, and she looked so good in them. The wind tossed her loose hair, playing an image of blonde and tan and brown. She somehow turned the colours of the forest into those of the desert.

He had never wanted this. An ordinary wife, one that didn't make his heart pound and his palms sweat, that was what he wanted. Someone who let him think clearly and stay rational. The woman who strode toward the Nara compound was none of those things. Temari always defied his logic, tore apart his dreams. Somehow she always wrecked his plans. Now he was going to have a wife who was too pretty, too sexy, as powerful as himself if not moreso, and definitely a pain. And he had the feeling that she'd done it just to spite him.

"Shikamaru!" Kankurou called to him from down the street. "Looking sharp!"

Shikamaru felt his cheeks go pink. Temari elbowed her brother in the chest and quickened her walking pace, yanking Gaara along with her. He noticed that she wasn't carrying her tessen. He hadn't seen her without it for a long time.

He stepped out of the doorway, his hands twitching as he fought the urge to grab Temari and haul her up to his room. She broke out of Gaara's grasp, stepping forward quickly so that they were face to face. He paused, unused to greeting her in front of her brothers, with his mother surely watching through the window. He settled for wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. His whole body sighed with relief to feel her body against his. Temari buried her face in his neck, her eyes closing. They didn't need to say that they had missed each other.

"Shikamaru!" Yoshino's shrill voice filled the air. He was yanked away from Temari by his collar and glared down at his mother. She glared back. "You two shouldn't even be seeing each other until the engagement is final."

"Ah, troublesome woman," Shikamaru grumbled, grudgingly stepping away from Temari.

"Yoshino," Temari stepped forward obligingly, taking the older woman by the hand. He had been right about them, they liked each other more than enough to cause him trouble. "It's lovely to see you again."

Shikamaru blocked out the womanly chatter that followed as his mother led her into the house. Those two were going to be the death of him. A hand clapped down on his shoulder and he turned to see Kankurou grinning at him. "Your woman troubles have just begun."

"Tell me about it," he grouched, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And now you're part of the family, you have to answer to me."

Shikamaru saw out the corner of his eye his father greeting the other two men and allowed Kankurou to lead him inside. "I thought I already did."

"Too right." The puppeteer sauntered through the Nara house as if he owned the place. "Today's the big day. You nervous?"

"No," he lied. "Temari should be, she's going to be related to my mother."

"Your parents are going to get grilled by Gaara."

Shikamaru smirked. Gaara was committed to not killing anyone, his parents had made no such oath. Five years ago he would have agreed that Gaara was the scariest man alive, but now he wasn't so sure. Yoshino and Shikaku would have torn the young Kazekage apart if they didn't like Temari so much.

The back room was set up for the meeting. Shikamaru and his father were not fans of tradition, but Yoshino had insisted, and both Sabaku brothers had stuck to their guns. Temari had to do this right. Not that they were really doing it right. Doing it right would involve Temari playing the part of the blushing bride, and Yoshino the demure wife. Neji would have to take the lead in negotiations, Gaara and Shikaku making arrangements for the couple's married lifestyle and Kankurou would remain silent. No one was kidding themselves that much.

Still, they had made an effort. The nine engagement gifts had been prepared for the clan, they at least _had _a Nakodo, and much to Shikamaru's chagrin he and Temari had to be seperated during the discussions. He kneeled on the floor next to a privacy screen, which divided him from his princess. The long sleeves of her junihitoe were the only thing he could see other than her silhouette.

People moved around him, but he didn't see them, his eyes glued to the shadows that danced beside him. She was watching her brothers, her face a perfect profile for him to ogle, his mind tracing the arch of her nose and pout of her lips. She smiled, watching Kankurou flop down onto the floor with all the grace of a burly man. The others in the room were all taking their places, and Shikamaru vaguely recognised that a bowl of sake had been placed in front of him, but never shifted his gaze from the beautiful image before him.

Their families had started talking, just murmurs to him. Gaara would say something, then Shikaku, then Yoshino would correct them both. Temari was watching intently. He couldn't hear a word. He wanted to talk to her. The last time they had seen each other he had been nursing her back to health and repairing Suna, giving them barely a minute to themselves. Now that he had her here he wanted to hear every second of the last three months over a game of shougi, get to eat her amazing cooking, then spread her on his bed and make love until sunrise. The thought sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine and he found himself itching to end the conversation that the others were now well into.

With a smile he subtly formed a hand sign and latched his shadow onto Temari's. She let out a gasp and the family fell silent, all eyes turning to them. Shikamaru gave them a questioning look, hoping that Temari was doing the same. "What?"

With a few suspicious glances the conversation continued and Shikamaru pulled his sake closer, forcing Temari to do the same. He dipped a finger in the bowl, then traced it across the floor, leaving glistening streaks that evaporated almost instantly, remaining just long enough for her to read as he wrote on the floorboards.

_You look great in that dress._

He couldn't look at her without making her look the other way, but he could feel the smile on her face. She let out a barely audible sigh, it sounded happy. Shikamaru dipped his finger into the drink again.

_I love you._

The chatter around them was in full swing now. Neji was arbitrating what sounded like a debate between his father and Kankurou over the academy structure in Suna. Great, it hadn't taken them long to get distracted and start dragging the afternoon out.

_Shougi afterwards?_

Temari laughed softly, then sort of hummed an _mmm_ sound, giving him his answer. He smiled. Usually he would have taken the opportunity to catch a nap, but having Temari around made him want to cause trouble.

Shikamaru suddenly froze up, letting out a cough as his father's shadow caught him. He covered up his cough with another and watched his hands trace out a message in front of him.

_Your mother's onto you._

Shikaku's shadow retreated and Shikamaru glanced at Yoshino, who was eyeing him disapprovingly. Damn, caught out. His fingers twitched and he stilled them by rubbing the back of his neck. Three months had gone past, and now Temari was sitting just a few inches from him, but untouchable. He wasn't even allowed to see her smile. This was a pain.

So he was stuck staring at her shadow again, letting the words tumble by him, refusing to touch his sake. He wanted to be 100% present when he could finally talk to her. His eyelids felt heavy with boredom as Gaara and Shikaku discussed the relevant immigration details. They could take days to talk about everything.

With a frown, Shikamaru reached out again and slid his shadow around his father. Shikaku instantly scowled, but didn't give him away.

_Can we hurry this up?_

He released the jutsu and gave his father a pleading look. Shikaku nodded, turning back to the conversation. He waited patiently until Yoshino finished speaking.

"We have a lot of details to work through," Shikaku rasped, his face taking on its usual hardness. "But I think the real question is, do we want these two getting married?"

The was a pause in the room, no one wanting to break the silence until Gaara looked directly at Shikaku, his face impassive. "Yes."

The older Nara shrugged. "Then with the permission of our Nakodo, we'll let the lovebirds catch up while we sort out the finer details."

Shikamaru had never appreciated his father as much as he did at that moment. A smile quirked on Gaara's lips and Neji nodded solemnly. Shikamaru felt Temari's fingers tangle with his and he was yanked to his feet.

Temari dragged him out of the room and he didn't look back.


End file.
